As Everton Stadium continues to rise into the north Liverpool skyline, work continues to bring back to life one of the site’s key historical features.
The Grade II listed Hydraulic Tower and Engine Room, built in 1883 and an integral part of daily life during the dock’s heyday, is being restored to its former glory – brick by brick!
Protecting the Tower and adjoining Engine Room has always been a priority, given its huge importance to the site and inclusion in the fan plaza that will eventually provide a jaw-dropping entrance to the stadium site for fans.
And Everton’s construction partners have outlined the painstaking detail being undertaken to breathe new life into the long-standing buildings.
“The structure has always been at the front of the planning stage, because the stadium has to fit around it,” explained Chris Spragg, Project Leader for Laing O’Rourke.
“It’s Grade II listed and there is quite a comprehensive piece of work needed to bring it back into use.
“It has needed particular care and attention and the starting point was a lot of engagement with the heritage consultants and Liverpool City Council.
“Obviously it has been in disrepair for many years, so we have spent a lot of time understanding the challenges and how we can make improvements.
“Extensive survey work was done to understand the condition – and that involved gaining access to all the different levels to check the integrity of the roof, the state of the brickwork and sub-structure.
“Over the past few years, the scope has developed and now we have a detailed plan to restore the structure.”
The tower was originally clad in scaffolding early in the build process, to protect it from vibrations caused by the compacting of the sand used to infill the former dock and provide the foundations for the stadium.
And as work progresses on the neighbouring 52,888-seater stadium, the cloak of steelwork still serves to aid the remediation works on the tower, which originally contained the steam engine to operate the locks at Bramley-Moore and also pumped water from one part of the dock to another.
“The scaffolding provides a level of stability and safety for all the works happening around the structure,” explained Spragg.
“There was a lot of loose brickwork and roof slates, but it also provides access to start some of the remedial works; things like repairs to the brickwork and pointing and mortar.
“We have taken away a lot of the brickwork and salvaged it. That has been sorted and, as different parts of the structure get infilled, or modified, we are re-using a lot of that brickwork.
“In some areas we have had to source new bricks from salvage yards and get colour matching, in conjunction with the heritage consultant and Liverpool City Council.
“It’s very important to us and the club that it’s done in the correct manner and there is quite a lot of governance around making sure the quality is right.”
Work has now progressed to the inside of the structure, with the aim of ensuring restoration of the tower is both sympathetic to its past, but sustainable for its future.
The Listed Building Consent application seeks permission for works to make the building weather-tight and structurally sound, including proposed new openings to allow for a functional layout for the intended use of the building.
“It will be a great focal point outside of the stadium and a facility for the club to utilise,” said Spragg.
“The architects are currently developing designs to establish exactly how the space is best used, because the building wasn’t originally intended to accommodate large groups of people.
“It is quite constrained, but it will have some purpose and will be an asset to the stadium and surrounds.
“I think it’s a fantastic facility to be retained, supported by the council and heritage stakeholders, and it is always going to stand out as its own landmark.”
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