In addition to being a parish church, it was also intended to be used as a venue for ceremonial worship by the corporation and as a concert hall.

The church was badly damaged by bombs during the Liverpool Blitz in 1941 and has been a roofless shell ever since, giving rise to its nickname.

[1] Plans for the design of the church were first drawn up in 1802 by John Foster, senior, the surveyor of the Corporation of Liverpool, but the foundation stone was not laid until 9 April 1811.

Foster's son, also named John, took over the role of Corporation surveyor and continued to supervise the building, making further changes to the design in 1827.

[6] It has been decided to maintain the church as it is, a burnt-out shell, as a memorial to those who died as a result of the war.

[3] This is the middle of the three grades, which is defined by English Heritage as containing "particularly important buildings of more than special interest".

[7] From 2007 to 2014, Urban Strawberry Lunch organised the day-to-day maintenance of St Lukes and coordinated exhibitions and events inside the grounds.

They have since continued the work started by USL, maintaining the church as a creative hub for the local community.

Its plan currently consists of a five-bay nave, a four-bay chancel with an apsidal end, and a west tower.

Within the tower is the surviving cast iron bell frame, made in 1828 by George Gilliband.

[3][15] Along the sides of the nave are five three-light windows, separated by panelled buttresses that rise to crocketed pinnacles.

Media related to St Lukes, Berry Street, Liverpool at Wikimedia Commons