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Post & Echo Building facts for kids
| Post & Echo Building | |
|---|---|
The Post & Echo Building is easily distinguishable amongst the Liverpool skyline
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | International style |
| Address | Old Hall Street, Liverpool |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 53°24′35″N 2°59′43″W / 53.4096°N 2.9954°W |
| Completed | 1974 |
The Post & Echo Building is a famous building in Liverpool city centre, England. You can find it at 95 Old Hall Street. For many years, it was the main office for two newspapers, the Liverpool Echo and the Daily Post. People also call it Metropolitan House or City Tower. This building is designed in a style called International Style. It's quite tall, standing 73 metres (240 ft) high with 18 floors! This makes it one of the tallest buildings in Liverpool.
Contents
History of the Building
This building was finished in 1974. It was designed in the International Style, which is a type of modern architecture. Soon after it was built, the Liverpool Echo and Daily Post newspapers moved in. Before this, their offices were on Victoria Street.
Newspapers and Printing
The Post & Echo Building was a busy place for newspapers. The top floors were used as offices for the newspaper staff. The lower floors had big printing rooms. This is where the newspapers were printed and then sent out for delivery.
However, things changed in 2008. The company that owned the newspapers decided to stop printing them at this building. All the printing work moved to a different place in Oldham.
Council Offices
The building was also used by the local government for a while. From when it was built until 1986, it was the main office for Merseyside County Council. This council was in charge of local services for the Merseyside area. The building provided office space for many council workers. Big meetings of the full council were held at Liverpool Town Hall.
Changes Over Time
In December 2013, the Liverpool Daily Post newspaper stopped being published. This left only the Echo newspaper working from the building. Then, in March 2018, the Echo newspaper also moved out. They found newer offices nearby on Old Hall Street.
Since 2019, the building has been getting a big makeover. It's being changed from just offices into a place with shops, fun activities, and even a hotel. There are plans for a hotel with 207 rooms and a cool sky bar. Also, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe announced in 2018 that they plan to move about 500 of their staff into the building.
How the Building Stays Cool and Warm
The Post & Echo Building was built at the same time as another building called New Hall Place. Both buildings had a clever system to control their temperature. They used special machines called heat pumps. These pumps used water from the nearby River Mersey to heat or cool the buildings.
Using River Water
About three thousand gallons of water per hour naturally seeps into the Mersey railway tunnel. This water comes from the river above, through the rocks. The cool thing is that this water stays at a steady temperature of 13 degrees Celsius all year round.
Before, this water was just pumped out into the docks. But the heat pumps used this constant temperature water. They could take heat from the water to warm the building in winter. Or, they could use the water to get rid of heat and cool the building in summer. It was a very smart and efficient way to manage the building's temperature!