- Bradford City Hall
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Bradford City Hall 
City Hall main entranceGeneral information Architectural style Venetian gothic Town or city Bradford Country England Coordinates 53°47′32″N 1°45′12″W / 53.7923°N 1.7533°WCoordinates: 53°47′32″N 1°45′12″W / 53.7923°N 1.7533°W Construction started 1870 Completed 1873
Extensions 1909; 1914Cost £100,000 in 1873 Technical details Structural system Gaisby rock sandstone Design and construction Client Bradford Council Architect Lockwood and Mawson 1873
Norman Shaw 1909
William Williamson 1914Bradford City Hall is a Grade I listed, 19th century town hall in Centenary Square, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, and is notable for its landmark bell/clock tower.
Contents
History
As town hall
The building was designed by Lockwood and Mawson, and opened in 1873.[1]
Before its relocation, between 1847 to 1872, the town hall had been the Fire Station House in Swain Street. In 1869 a new triangular site was purchased, and a competition held for a design to rival the town halls of Leeds and Halifax.[2] The local firm of Lockwood and Mawson was chosen over the other 31 entries. It was built by John Ives & Son of Shipley and took three years to build at a cost of £100,000.[1] It was opened on 9 September 1873, on a very wet day[3] by Matthew Thompson, the mayor.
It was first extended in 1909, to a design by Norman Shaw and executed by architect F.E.P. Edwards,[2] with another council chamber, more committee rooms and a banqueting hall. It was extended again in 1914 with a new entrance and staircase in baroque marble by William Williamson[1] and listed grade I on 14 June 1963.[2]
As city hall
In 1965 the name was changed to City Hall to reflect Bradford's prominence, and the building was improved at a cost of £12,000. In 1992 the bells stopped due to decay of the bell frame; in 1997 the bells were repaired with National Lottery funds.[1]
Conservation of resources
In December 2007 the City Hall went green by turning the city's nine Christmas trees into woodchips as fuel for new heating boilers to be installed in early 2008.[4] An access tunnel was dug from the roadway to install the boilers: there is a Powerpoint description of the process, with images of the old and new boilers, here.
tower and flagpole
In public context
The two flagpoles carry the flag of Wales on Saint David's Day and the flag of Australia on Australia Day. Flag use in response to major world disasters is made according to Government guidelines.[1] The flags also reflect royal events, such as coronations and weddings.[1]
The building is set in Centenary Square, which was developed and pedestrianised in 1997, the city's centenary. Staff give tours of the building on request.[1] Annually in September the City Hall holds a heritage weekend, when visitors can see more of the building.[5] During two special open days per year, 1200 children are invited to meet the mayor, learn about the building and the council, do re-enactments and gain civic pride.[6] In 2000, Barbara Jane Harrison was commemorated in a memorial display in the City Hall.[7] In October 2006 the building was illuminated for Bradford Festival by artist Patrice Warrener.[8] In 2007 the City Hall filled in for Manchester Crown Court for the duration of the trial of Tracy Barlow in Coronation Street.
Bells
View of City Hall from Centenary SquareThe bells have played "The Star-Spangled Banner" to mark the three minutes' silence for those who died due to terrorism. When an eminent Bradfordian dies, the City Hall flags fly at half mast until the funeral is over, while the minute bell rings for an hour after receipt of notice, and for an hour at the time of the funeral. At the memorial in 2005 of the 1985 Bradford City stadium fire, "Dozens of people broke down in tears as the City Hall bells played You'll Never Walk Alone and Abide with Me in tribute to the victims."Telegraph, 11 May 2005.[9] However the bells normally play happier tunes, and in 2001 there was talk of replacing the old computer application which controlled the bells, so that they could play pop music.[10] The bells can now be programmed to play any tune, subject to musical arrangement and technical limitations. The bells have played No Matter What[11] several times in 2001, when Whistle Down the Wind was playing at the Alhambra; the operator of the bells was able to see the theatre steps from the bell tower, and timed the peals with the audience's exit. This meant that the superintendent had to undertake the long climb up the tower at 10.30pm every day for a week, as the bell system was still under repair. In 2010, the bells played the theme tune from Coronation Street when the cast was filming in the area.[12]
Description
Exterior
Statue of Oliver Cromwell on the side facing Centenary SquareIt was designed in the Venetian style. The bell tower was inspired by Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. It contains 13 bells, which ring every 15 minutes, though the clock was not added until 1937.[13] The top of the tower is 220 feet (67 m) high. The bells, which cost £5,000, weigh 17 tons and play tunes at midday and late afternoon plus carols in December.[1] There are 35 statues of past monarchs in chronological order on the façade, with Victoria and Elizabeth I on either side of the main entrance. The London firm Farmer & Brindley carved them from Cliffe Wood stone, from the local quarry on Bolton Road, at a cost of £63 each.[1] Interestingly, the line of monarchs includes Oliver Cromwell.[14] There is a flush bracket on the building with a code number once used to log the height above sea level.[15] A full architectural description is here.
Interior
In the banqueting hall is a 19th century overmantel and frieze carved by C.R. Millar. The frieze carries the Bradford city motto: Labor omnia vincit (Hard work conquers all), reflecting the ethos of an industrial city, and the work ethic of the Evangelical movement represented by many local chapels. The figures on the frieze represent the wool trade between Bradford and the world, besides architecture and the arts.[14]
View of Bradford showing tower of City HallReferences
- ^ a b c d e f g h i City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council: History of City Hall.
- ^ a b c Images of England: Grade I listing details for City Hall.
- ^ City for Peace: "on a very wet day".
- ^ BHL: Repeated Telegraph & Argus report on City Hall going green. Undated; ca.December 2007.
- ^ BBC: Panorama and mention of September heritage weekend.
- ^ Coventry University: Bradford City Hall schools open days.
- ^ Ottaway, Susan (2008). "Chapter 11". Fire over Heathrow, The Tragedy of Flight 712. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. pp. p157-63. ISBN 978 184415 7396.
- ^ Images of Bradford Festival illuminations 2006
- ^ Telegraph: Tears as Bradford fire victims remembered, 11 May 2005.
- ^ Telegraph and Argos: It's toll of the pops, 4 April 2001.
- ^ "City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council". Leisure and Culture: History of City Hall. Bradford MDC. 2010. http://www.bradford.gov.uk/bmdc/leisure_and_culture/hobbies_and_interests/history_of_city_hall.htm. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
- ^ Information from operator of Bradford City Hall bells superintendent, March 2010
- ^ Skyscraper News: Bradford City Hall
- ^ a b NGFL: Bradford City Hall description.
- ^ Bench-marks: flush bracket on City Hall.
External links
- Images of England: Grade I listing details for City Hall, no. 1.5111.
- City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council: History of City Hall.
- Bradford City Hall at Structurae
- BBC: Three 360-degree panoramas of interior rooms of City Hall (one on page, two via links)
- Haworth Village: 360-degree panorama of Centenary Square with City Hall at night.
Categories:- Buildings and structures in Bradford
- Grade I listed buildings in West Yorkshire
- Buildings and structures completed in 1873
- City and town halls in England
- Campaniles
- Clock towers in the United Kingdom
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