There is a lot of redevelopment going on in Liverpool city centre at the moment, much of it involving listed (i.e. interesting) buildings. I’ve been round quite a few of these, but had forgotten about this one on Victoria street until @stranton’s recent post https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/fruit-exchange-building-liverpool-december-2017.t111536. While I normally try to avoid doing the tourist thing, this one did look a bit special. Of course, as with many intriguing places in Liverpool the Echo got here first https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/look-inside-liverpool-fruit-exchange-11177937 (2016). There is also a good short documentary here
(2014) from which I borrowed a couple of shots below.
The building is listed (https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1392539) because it still contains so many original features and ‘represents the growth and development of trade within Liverpool during the late C19 and early C20’. As usual, pictures were taken handheld and rather fast.
Immediately inside the front door are some of the original offices.
Heading through the entrance hall and up to the top floors using either of the two main flights of stairs - the handrail seems to be missing on one of them.
Mostly stripped back to the brick up here. There are several neat stacks of parquet flooring tiles suggesting they may be planning to reuse it.
I haven’t found pictures of what the upper floors originally looked like but judging from the amount of dust a lot of render has been removed, possibly panelling as well. Some areas of the nice bluish-grey tiling featured in the stairwells and the lower rooms still remain.
On the left the only fireplace still with an insert I came across.
Two long rooms, one above the other, just behind the front block, with a lift running through the middle.
The main auction room, with fruit displayed on the bins in front of the podium (these bins acted as hoists, taking fruit from the cellar).
My wonky attempt at an arty shot - for much better photos see http://www.darbiansphotography.com/liverpool-fruit-exchange-urbex/.
A side view, and some of the seating.
An old photo from the documentary mentioned above together with a shot from the other side, accidentally at almost the right angle.
Going through into the second smaller auction room.
The same auction room in use.
I don’t know what the plans are for these rooms, but they would certainly make good lecture halls or performance venues.
The building is listed (https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1392539) because it still contains so many original features and ‘represents the growth and development of trade within Liverpool during the late C19 and early C20’. As usual, pictures were taken handheld and rather fast.
Immediately inside the front door are some of the original offices.
Heading through the entrance hall and up to the top floors using either of the two main flights of stairs - the handrail seems to be missing on one of them.
Mostly stripped back to the brick up here. There are several neat stacks of parquet flooring tiles suggesting they may be planning to reuse it.
I haven’t found pictures of what the upper floors originally looked like but judging from the amount of dust a lot of render has been removed, possibly panelling as well. Some areas of the nice bluish-grey tiling featured in the stairwells and the lower rooms still remain.
On the left the only fireplace still with an insert I came across.
Two long rooms, one above the other, just behind the front block, with a lift running through the middle.
The main auction room, with fruit displayed on the bins in front of the podium (these bins acted as hoists, taking fruit from the cellar).
My wonky attempt at an arty shot - for much better photos see http://www.darbiansphotography.com/liverpool-fruit-exchange-urbex/.
A side view, and some of the seating.
An old photo from the documentary mentioned above together with a shot from the other side, accidentally at almost the right angle.
Going through into the second smaller auction room.
The same auction room in use.
I don’t know what the plans are for these rooms, but they would certainly make good lecture halls or performance venues.
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