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Location Information:
The
Albert Dock is a complex of dock
buildings and warehouses in
Liverpool, England. Designed by
Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick,
it was opened in 1846, and was the
first structure in Britain to be
built from cast iron, brick and
stone, with no structural wood. As a
result, it was the first
non-combustible warehouse system in
the world.
At the
time of its construction the Albert
Dock was considered a revolutionary
docking system because ships were
loaded and unloaded directly from
the warehouses. Two years after it
opened it was modified to feature
the world's first hydraulic cranes.
Due to its open yet secure design,
the Albert Dock became a popular
store for valuable cargoes such as
brandy, cotton, tea, silk, tobacco,
ivory and sugar. However, despite
the Albert Dock's advanced design,
the rapid development of shipping
technology meant that within 50
years, larger, more open docks were
required, although it remained a
valuable store for cargo.
During
the Second World War, the Albert
Dock was requisitioned by the
Admiralty serving as a base for
boats of the British Atlantic Fleet.
The complex was damaged during air
raids on Liverpool, notably during
the May Blitz of 1941. In the
aftermath of the war, the financial
problems of the owners and the
general decline of docking in the
city meant that the future of the
Albert Dock was uncertain. Numerous
plans were developed for the re-use
of the buildings but none came to
fruition and in 1972 the dock was
finally closed. Having lain derelict
for nearly ten years, the
redevelopment of the dock began in
1981, when the Merseyside
Development Corporation was set up,
with the Albert Dock being
officially re-opened in 1988.
Today
the Albert Dock is a major tourist
attraction in the city and the most
visited multi-use attraction in the
United Kingdom, outside of London.
It is a vital component of
Liverpool's UNESCO designated World
Heritage Maritime Mercantile City
and the docking complex and
warehouses also comprise the largest
single collection of Grade I listed
buildings anywhere in the UK.
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