16 Cook Street, Grade II* listed building in Liverpool, England
16 Cook Street is a five-story building with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and a cast-iron frame supporting its structure. The front facade displays carved stonework arranged to resemble one large mullioned window.
Peter Ellis designed this pioneering structure between 1864 and 1866, creating an important example of glass-walled commercial architecture. It followed his earlier Oriel Chambers as the second glass curtain wall building in the world.
The street name reflects Liverpool's maritime trading history. Visitors can see how the glass and stone facade represents the city's shift toward contemporary design at that time.
The building sits in Liverpool's city center and is easily accessible on foot. The glass construction performs well even on cloudy days, allowing visitors to see the interior framework and architectural details clearly.
Inside the courtyard sits a cast-iron spiral staircase cantilevered from the building's structure, an innovative fireproofing approach that appeared decades before becoming standard practice. This design solution influenced later buildings across the world.
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