St Johns Beacon: How the 'Radio City Tower' became one of Liverpool's most iconic landmarks

From the second-tallest free-standing structure in Liverpool you can see as far as the Lake District, Blackpool and Snowdonia. St Johns Beacon - or, if you're a local, the Radio City Tower - was once home to a radio station and a rotating restaurant.

The construction of St Johns Beacon began in 1965; its main purpose was to provide a ventilation shaft for the shopping complex below, and upon completion, it was opened by Queen Elizabeth II.

Standing 138 meters above sea level, the tower was the tallest building in Liverpool and remained so until the erection of Beetham's West Tower. It is Grade II listed due to its historic and architectural interest.

Historic England says: “Its space-age design embodies the spirit of the space age and is a physical expression of popular culture at the time, representing a bold and optimistic 1960s vision of the future after the horrors of the Second World War. "Initially, it included a rotating restaurant known as the Tower Restaurant, one of only two in England, the other being at the BT Tower in London.”

The restaurant closed in 1979 and then reopened in the early 1980s, at one point being styled as a space-age Buck Rogers-themed restaurant, before closing again.

After becoming somewhat of an eyesore whilst lying derelict for so long, the tower was refurbished and reopened as a working radio station - Radio City 96.7 in 2000 and in 2010, the building's first floor was opened to the public as a viewing gallery.

Back in 2020, proposals were put in for a zip wire to pass from the Radio City tower and over St John's Gardens before landing on the roof of Liverpool Central Library. However, the decision faced serious opposition from conservationists, architects and residents who said it would lead to the "Disneyfication" of the city centre.

After initially being given the green light, permission was pulled for this use of the Central Library, effectively squashing the proposal. In 2024, Bauer Media announced that it would be vacating St Johns Beacon after 24 years, following a decision not to renew the lease, with the final shows broadcast from St. Johns Beacon aired on the December 24.

It is undoubtedly one of Liverpool's most iconic landmarks and forms a key part of the city's famous skyline.

Watch the full video above for more.