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St Johns Beacon AI simulator
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St Johns Beacon
St Johns Beacon (also known locally as the Radio City Tower) is a Grade II listed communications and observation tower in Liverpool, England. Designed by James A. Roberts Associates, it was built in 1969 and opened by Queen Elizabeth II. The tower is 138 metres (453 ft) tall, and is the second-tallest free-standing structure in Liverpool after the 40-storey West Tower. It has a 10 m (33 ft) long antenna on the roof, making it the tallest structure in Liverpool when antennas are included.
As testament to the importance of its design, which was described by Historic England as "embodying the technological bravura and spirit of the space age", the building was listed at Grade II in November 2020. It is shorter and newer than the BT Tower in London, another communications tower built with a revolving restaurant.
The building housed the studios and offices of local commercial radio station Radio City (now known as Hits Radio Liverpool) alongside its sister station, Greatest Hits Radio, from 2000 to 2024.
At the top of the tower was a luxury revolving restaurant, the façade and floor of the restaurant revolving as one unit, while the roof was used as an observation platform for visitors. There are 558 stairs up to the top, and two lift shafts with lifts reaching the top in 30 seconds.
The tower is structurally independent of the adjacent shopping centre, with a simple foundation onto sandstone. The foundation is 18 metres (60 ft) in diameter, 5.2 m (17 ft) deep and begins 12 m (40 ft) below Houghton Street. It has a tapering shaft that was built using slip-formed concrete. The crow's nest structure at the top was added after the shaft was formed.
The original restaurant closed in 1979 for health and safety issues. It was re-opened, with a reduced capacity and additional fire prevention measures, during the early 1980s. The restaurant was eventually re-fitted as a Buck Rogers space-themed restaurant in 1983, but closed again for lack of business. After this, the observation deck and the restaurant remained closed.
In the following years, the tower lay empty and derelict. Often considered to be an eyesore or a white elephant by fellow Liverpudlians, blue "UFO style" neon strip lights were added to the perimeter of the tower in 1994 in an attempt to increase its attractiveness. These were later removed upon the refurbishment of the tower.
In late 1998, Radio City, owned and operated by the then Emap Radio, expressed interest in refurbishing the tower to house Radio City and Magic 1548, including their studios and required office space.
St Johns Beacon
St Johns Beacon (also known locally as the Radio City Tower) is a Grade II listed communications and observation tower in Liverpool, England. Designed by James A. Roberts Associates, it was built in 1969 and opened by Queen Elizabeth II. The tower is 138 metres (453 ft) tall, and is the second-tallest free-standing structure in Liverpool after the 40-storey West Tower. It has a 10 m (33 ft) long antenna on the roof, making it the tallest structure in Liverpool when antennas are included.
As testament to the importance of its design, which was described by Historic England as "embodying the technological bravura and spirit of the space age", the building was listed at Grade II in November 2020. It is shorter and newer than the BT Tower in London, another communications tower built with a revolving restaurant.
The building housed the studios and offices of local commercial radio station Radio City (now known as Hits Radio Liverpool) alongside its sister station, Greatest Hits Radio, from 2000 to 2024.
At the top of the tower was a luxury revolving restaurant, the façade and floor of the restaurant revolving as one unit, while the roof was used as an observation platform for visitors. There are 558 stairs up to the top, and two lift shafts with lifts reaching the top in 30 seconds.
The tower is structurally independent of the adjacent shopping centre, with a simple foundation onto sandstone. The foundation is 18 metres (60 ft) in diameter, 5.2 m (17 ft) deep and begins 12 m (40 ft) below Houghton Street. It has a tapering shaft that was built using slip-formed concrete. The crow's nest structure at the top was added after the shaft was formed.
The original restaurant closed in 1979 for health and safety issues. It was re-opened, with a reduced capacity and additional fire prevention measures, during the early 1980s. The restaurant was eventually re-fitted as a Buck Rogers space-themed restaurant in 1983, but closed again for lack of business. After this, the observation deck and the restaurant remained closed.
In the following years, the tower lay empty and derelict. Often considered to be an eyesore or a white elephant by fellow Liverpudlians, blue "UFO style" neon strip lights were added to the perimeter of the tower in 1994 in an attempt to increase its attractiveness. These were later removed upon the refurbishment of the tower.
In late 1998, Radio City, owned and operated by the then Emap Radio, expressed interest in refurbishing the tower to house Radio City and Magic 1548, including their studios and required office space.
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