united kingdom / originals

images of tall buildings in 1939



this collection includes buildings of least 40 meters tall that were completed before 1945. Buildings that are shorter than 40 meters but possess skyscraperesque features are included in this list, though they are not ranked

giraffes
during this period, a significant number of 'giraffe' buildings were constructed. A giraffe is defined as a low-rise building with a tower integrated into its design. To qualify for inclusion in this collection, the tower section must have habitable floors occupying more than fifty percent of its total height

color codes
  later reconstructed      later demolished

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1. Royal Liver Building
Liverpool • 104 m • 1911

Chowells via Wikimedia Commons
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2. Victoria Tower
London • 99 m • 1860

Rose cottage via Wikimedia Commons
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3. Senate House
London • 62 m • 1937

amandabhslater via Wikimedia Commons
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4. Shell Mex House
London • 61 m • 1932

Arild Vågen via Wikimedia Commons
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5. Midland Grand Hotel
London • 57 m • 1873
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6. Balmoral Hotel
Edinburgh • 56 m • 1902

Stephencdickson via Wikimedia Commons
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7. 55 Broadway
London • 54 m • 1929

Paul Farmer via Wikimedia Commons
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8. Sunlight House
Manchester • 52 m • 1932
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9. 68 King William Street
London • 51 m • 1922
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10. India Buildings
Liverpool • 50 m • 1932
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11.   Queen Anne's Mansions
London • 49 m • 1890 - 1971

RIBApix
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12. Tower Building
Liverpool • 46 m • 1908

Derek Harper via Wikimedia Commons
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13. The Langham
London • 44 m • 1865

The Langham via Wikimedia Commons
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14. Adelaide House
London • 43 m • 1925
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15. Exchange Flags
Liverpool • 43 m • 1939

Brit in Seoul via Wikimedia Commons
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16. City Chambers
Edinburgh • 42 m • 1760
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Oriel Chambers
Liverpool • 21 m • 1864
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Ditherington Flax Mill
Shrewsbury • 17 m • 1797