Richmond Street and Radio City Tower, Liverpool

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 27 Apr 2015

A view of St John's Beacon from Richmond Street. St John’s Beacon was constructed between 1965 and 1969, primarily to provide a ventilation shaft for the St Johns Shopping complex below. Standing 138 metres above sea level, it was the tallest structure in Liverpool until the 40-storey Beetham Tower West (140 metres) was built in 2004. The crow’s nest measures 86 feet in diameter. The beacon became famous as a revolving restaurant, opening in 1970 until its closure eight years later. Following a brief re-opening as a Buck Rogers themed restaurant in 1984, the beacon remained vacant for almost 14 years, opening occasionally as a viewing platform for the general public. In 1999, the tower was refurbished at a cost of £5 million. The outdoor observation deck which had been located on the roof of the restaurant was transformed into a second floor; this now holds offices and conference rooms for the radio station. The studios are on the lower floor that used to be the restaurant. The original revolving structure and machinery were left intact during the refurbishment. It reopened as Radio City 96.7 (and Magic 1548) in August 2000 and is known colloquially as “Radio City Tower”. The viewing gallery has been open to the public (upon payment of an entry fee) since Spring 2011 and provides excellent panoramic views of the city and beyond (http://www.radiocity.co.uk/local/radio-city-viewing-gallery/ Radio City). http://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/13214 - Views from the Radio City Viewing Gallery

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