Everton to get another tower as ‘jaw-dropping’ new stadium feature takes shape

Everton to get any other tower as ‘jaw-dropping’ new stadium function takes shape
The restored Hydraulic Tower and Engine House at Bramley-Moore Dock is set to be surpassed over to Everton at their new
A regular view from Wirral of the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock on December 1, 2023
A well-known view from Wirral of the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock on December 1, 2023 (Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC by Getty Images)
The historical Hydraulic Tower and Engine House at Bramley-Moore Dock is set to be handed over to Everton for the subsequent section of works on the new stadium site.

Painstaking work has been undertaken over the past two years to repair the Victorian building, courting again to 1883, to its former glory. And with the external remediation works close to completion, consisting of salvaging and reinstating current brickwork, great re-pointing and the set up of new windows and doorways sympathetic to the unique design, the next section of inside works to assist breathe new life into the structure will commence next year.

Emily Watson, Assistant Section Manager at Laing O’Rourke, explained: “We’ve have had to undertake a lot of remedial repairs and unique make-safe works to get the building into a protected spot. There has been some predominant re-pointing work, some new roofing elements hooked up and some structural work to make the constructing secure for the next stage.

“The heritage thing has usually been a cautious consideration. Originally, there had been a lot of plans that wished to be signed off by Liverpool City Council, planning consultants CBRE and Heritage Project Management

We’ve had close relationships throughout, and they have carried out inspections in the course of the manner too. There have additionally been Listed Building stipulations that we’ve had to sign off and go through just to make sure that all people used to be pleased with what we have been doing to the Grade II Listed structure.

“That includes presenting samples and displaying them drawings, such as the windows and doors, so they can preserve in contact with progress. There was once another Listed Building condition that supposed we had to get sign off on the brickwork, so it ought to suit the original design as a good deal as possible.

“In fact, the bricks from the old station master’s office, which was once taken down due to the fact it used to be unstable, were all salvaged. The rebuild was once truly carried out with all the existing brickwork, to maintain it precisely the same.”

Complementing the primary challenge to renovate the Hydraulic Tower and Engine House has been an huge amount of work to restore heritage property to the site, specially throughout the Fan Plaza. With the assist of a £15m grant from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, ancient maritime elements such as railway lines, capstans, mooring bollards and cobblestones – a characteristic for the duration of the dock’s heyday, when Liverpool’s docks dominated world alternate – have been recorded, tagged and carefully reinstated.

In total, extra than four hundred heritage property have been preserved, with any extra items used as both exhibition items, or to be bequeathed to Liverpool City Council or Peel Waters for future development. With the Fan Plaza presently being paved, and decorative benches proposing the well-known Archibald Leitch truss design installed – what the club describe as “the jaw-dropping entrance” to the stadium site is progressively coming to fruition.

The principal feature, however, is certain to be the imposing Hydraulic Tower, which will even feature the original air raid siren bolted lower back onto the facet of the building, following yet extra work to fix it and cowl it in a defensive coating.

Emily added: “When we first came, the air-raid siren had to be taken off, so we may want to replicate the authentic bracket on which it hung. We’ve now refitted it onto the building and it has had a special coating, so it can stay there”

“We now have the last ongoing works with the glazing, the louvres and the doors, and we’ve started out to layer the roof, then there will just a few closing touches, such as flashing and give it one last clean over earlier than it can be passed over.”