Liverpudlian council cleaners have undertaken one of the biggest cleaning jobs we have come across. The team have been committed to cleaning each of the 30,000 mosaic tiles featured in St George’s Hall’s handmade Minton floor. The room spans across a 169ft long and 74ft wide and for a limited time only, tourists can once again marvel at its beauty.
St George’s Hall in Liverpool is a Grade-I listed building and home to the truly spectacular, handmade Minton floor. Two years ago the Hall opened its doors to 25,000 tourists in its last viewing and during 7th to 22nd January it is, once again showing off one of Liverpool’s finest treasures.
Facts about St George’s Hall and the Minton floor
- Houses a concert organ complete with 7,000 pipes, which is second in size to the Royal Albert Hall’s organ
- In 1852 the floor was laid
- The floor was usually covered by a wooden platform to preserve it when events took place in the 1860s
- The design features sea nymphs, tritons and boys on dolphins to reflect Liverpool’s sea-faring history as well as featuring the city’s coat of arms
- The Hall played a central part in Liverpool’s bid to become the European Capital of Culture back in 2008
- The Hall was closed in the 1980s, but was reopened after a £23 million refurbishment in 2007
- The Hall was originally opened as multipurpose building in 1854
- More than 25,000 people gathered outside the Hall when John Lennon died
- In 1854, when the floor was uncovered more than 100,000 people queued outside in hope to cast their eyes upon it
The Hall and its floor has such a deep and fascinating history, we’re happy we are not the ones with the responsibility to clean it. However, we would love to have a go at restoring it to its former glory. Just imagine how intricate the mosaic is and equally how careful you would have to be to clean it. We’re sure no ordinary products are being used to clean it either as hardly any chemicals can be used to ensure the colours are preserved. What products do you think they would be using, maybe some environmentally friendly ones?
