Oriel Chambers, English Building, Architect, Photos, Date, Location, Picture, Design

Oriel Chambers Liverpool

Water Street Neoclassical Liverpool building, England, UK – design by architect Peter Ellis

20 Oct 2007

Oriel Chambers

Location: central Liverpool, towards west of city centre

The world’s first building with a metal-framed glass curtain wall

Oriel Chambers Building

Victorian Prefabricated Building in north west England

Location: Water St / Covent Garden, central Liverpool
Date built: 1864
Design: Peter Ellis Architect

photos © Adrian Welch Oct 2007

This is a world-famous building due to original pre-fabricated structure, a key Liverpool building that you should not miss if visiting.

Oriel Chambers is the world’s first building featuring a metal-framed glass curtain wall. Designed by architect Peter Ellis and built in 1864, it is located on Water Street near the town hall in Liverpool, England. Due to its outstanding importance, it has been grade I listed.

Peter Ellis won the commission for Oriel Chambers by competition and completed it in 1864 as evidenced by the building’s inscription A.D. 1864 in the gable. It comprises 43,000 sq ft (4,000 m2) of floor space set over five storeys. Peter Ellis managed to maximise the influx of light by employing a grid of oriel windows, which became the building’s defining feature.