revolver - a photo on Flickriver

revolver

            architect Jim Roberts speaking in 2009 when aged 87 years said : 

“There had been a revolving restaurant somewhere in Austria but it wasn’t the thing you did (here in England).   I tried on numerous occasions to get this revolving restaurant thing done and eventually I did succeed in Liverpool at the top of the tower there (in my scheme for St Johns Precinct).  Unfortunately it was ruined because it was let out to a restaurateur who put in Regency ironmongery and a fibrous plaster medieval half timbered bar!  When I was appointed architect for Birmingham Exhibition Hall in Broad Street I had another revolving restaurant incorporated into that scheme.  I’ve been prone to some crazy ideas but they are very exciting when you have them”

Jim may have been referring to the 564ft high “Viener Donauturm” (Danube Tower) which was built in 1964 on the occasion of the Vienna International Garden Festival.  It is similar to his St Johns Beacon and dates from the right time.  But, in contrast, the Donauturm still has its revolving restaurant in full operation.  In fact it has two.

Looking at my image of what is usually known as “St Johns Beacon” it was the glazed accommodation at the level below the Radio City signage which revolved.  The glazed floor level above the signage and also the large telecommunications gantry above that are not original.  Both were added later.  I seem to remember that there was a circular dance floor in the “Top Rank Suite” nightclub  (also within St Johns Precinct) which also revolved slowly.  But I may be mistaken - it was a long time ago.  Hopefully someone else might remember it.

My earlier picture from 1983 (reproduced below) shows the Beacon in its original form as designed by Jim Roberts. 

COPYRIGHT © Towner Images

Taken on: December 6, 2017

Tags:

Liverpool

Beacon

Towner

Merseyside

architecture

brutal

concrete

Donauturm

Vienna

Wien

Austria

Jim Roberts

James Roberts

architect

building

St Johns Precinct

St Johns Beacon

Towner Images

Radio City « less

Sets appears in: • Liverpool City centre • Liverpool - St. John's Beacon

Groups appears in: • England • UK more » • UK Flickr users • canon photography • Buildings/Architecture • Flickr Addicts • !FlickrSoup for Soul • liverpool photos • Flickritis: over 87,000 waiting for a vaccine. • concrete beauty • This Is Europe • FlickrToday (only 1 pic per day) • Concrete Architecture [Please read the rules] • architectural photography • the poetics of space • Great Britain • Geometry in architecture • Photography Gallery (3 photos/day) • canon digital photography. • Architecture UK • Architecture Photography • Brutalist Architecture (inc. brick, metal and glass) • Concrete • Architecture in Europe • Architecture Travellers • A Picture of Britain • Up Architecture (South Australia) • "I AM TELLING YOU A STORY HERE. CAN YOU SEE IT?" • Architecture of Days Gone By • Liverpool Photographers • Tower Blocks and Architecture of the 1960s and 1970s (UK only) • Architecture Directory • Britain's Buildings in Pictures • UK - The Urban Side • Flickriver • This Is England • Englands North West: Urban Paradise • Post The Best • Urban Liverpool • AA Ubercool • The world through photography • !!Perfect Composition!! • Inspirational Photography • *poetry of images • Liverpool and Wirral Flickr Group • Love Liverpool • "U.K. Photo Gallery" ( All Welcome ) • YO! Liverpool • Merseyside Images Old and New • The best of Liverpool - past and present • Photographers and Graphic designers! • Libro de Fotos / Photo Book • liverpool past and present • Digital SLR Life • Photographs Taken in Liverpool & Merseyside. (old and new) • Amateur Photographer Magazine • Liverpool Buildings • Liverpool's Photographers • beatifulgeographies • A changing Liverpool through development and regeneration « less

Stats: 3,143 views / 2 comments