Albion House

The Albion House, James Street, Liverpool, England, was built between 1896 and 1898. Designed by architects Richard Norman Shaw and J. Francis Doyle, it was built for the Ismay, Imrie and Company shipping company, which later became the White Star Line. After White Star merged with Cunard Line the headquarters remained at Albion House until 1927. The building is situated on the corner of The Strand and James Street. The facade is constructed from white Portland stone and red brick. In 1912, when news of the disaster of the Titanic reached the offices, the officials were too afraid to leave the building, and instead read the names of the deceased from the balcony. During World War II, the gable was damaged and was later rebuilt in the late 1940s.

Trivia

Due to its distinctive brickwork, it is locally known as the "streaky bacon" building.

source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albion_House%2C_Liverpool)....

Any pics of the building?

http://www.liverpoolviews.co.uk/dale/castle/james1006063.jpg

http://www.liverpoolviews.co.uk/pierhead/sdock/albionhouse.jpg

A couple from a few years ago.

http://www.liverpoolpictorial.co.uk/whitestar/image001.jpg

http://www.liverpoolpictorial.co.uk/whitestar/image002.jpg

Cheers lads :PDT11

As explores go, it wasn't particularly good. All the doors to the offices were locked, leaving us with just the main stairwell. On the ground floor was a mosaic of South America (official pictures on the web somewhere) but I didn't see that as I had to wait on the first floor to call the lift back up (stairs were blocked, lift was missing buttons to go up). All in all a bit of a disappointment, but from the outside the building is amazing.

http://www.level-two.co.uk/reports/images/whitestar/Dscf3194.jpg

The original Scotland Yard building in London was very similar.

The original Scotland Yard building in London was very similar.

For comparison, here is the Norman Shaw Building, then New Scotland Yard on the Thames Embankment, headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, as shown in a view from the 1890's:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/242/456703435_a5403ebbe1_o.gif

Same architects wasn't it or was it just copied?

Same architects wasn't it or was it just copied?

Yes, same architect (Richard Norman Shaw).
Liverpool's White Star Building (1895-8).
New Scotland Yard (1888-90).

So Albion House was second then?

So Albion House was second then?

Yes, sorry about my mistake, which I've corrected. :PDT_Piratz_26:
Albion House is the current name of the White Star Building.

The top two floors were damaged in the war, but were sympathetically restored, but in a less ornate style.

Photo from "Liverpool" by Joseph Sharples.

Great thread.
I have often wondered if there are any pics of the building around the days Titanic sank?
I have seen pictures of people queueing up outside the HQ in Southampton (I think). But I though the building in Liverpool was the main offices, so I would expect to see a pic of that, but never have.

Canute Road, Southampton, White Star Line Offices.
(Courtesy of Southampton Gov online)
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a2/Carrie132/titanicoffices.jpg

The date of 1896 appears on a drainpipe on this building.