Birmingham Town Hall

Infobox building
building_name = Birmingham Town Hall

---

caption = The town hall after being refurbished seen from Victoria Square
building_type = Concert and meeting venue
architectural_style = Classical
structural_system =
location = Victoria Square, Birmingham, England
coordinates = coord|52|28|46.56|N|1|54|13.59|W|type:landmark|scale:1000|region:GB|display=inline,title
start_date = April 27, 1832
completion_date = October 7, 1834
demolition_date =
height =
floor_count =
main_contractor =
architect = Joseph Hansom and Edward Welch
structural_engineer =
services_engineer =
civil_engineer =
other_designers = Charles Edge
quantity_surveyor =
awards = Grade I listed

Birmingham Town Hall is a Grade I listed concert and meeting venue in Victoria Square, Birmingham, England. [gbmapping|SP066868] It was created as a home for the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival established in 1784, the purpose of which was to raise funds for the General Hospital, after St Philip's Church (later to become a Cathedral) became too small to hold the festival, and for public meetings. Between 2002 and 2008, it was refurbished into a concert hall and is now used for performances as diverse as organ recitals, rock, pop and classical concerts and events such as graduation ceremonies for Aston University.

History

Two sites were considered by the Birmingham Street Commissioners for the construction of a concert hall in the city; Bennetts Hill and the more expensive Paradise Street site. Paradise Street was chosen and a design competition was launched which resulted with the submission of 67 designs including one by Charles Barry, whose design for the King Edward's School on New Street was then under construction.

Joseph Hansom, of Hansom cab fame, and Edward Welch were chosen as the architects and they expressed that they expected the construction cost to be £8,000. Hill of London was hired to build the 6,000 pipe organ for £6,000. Construction began on April 27, 1832 with an expected completion date of 1833.cite web | author= | title=The Organ | url=http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=37342&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=126 | publisher=Birmingham City Council | date=2005-09-16 | accessdate=2007-08-17] However, Hansom went bankrupt during construction, having tendered too low. The contractors were also losing money. Three guarantors donated money for the building; W. P. Lloyd, John Welch and Edward Tench. With the injection of this money, the building was successfully opened for the delayed Music Festival on October 7, 1834, despite the building still being unfinished. During construction, on January 26, 1833, two workers were killed when a 70 foot crane constructed to install the roof trusses broke and the pulley block failed. John Heap died instantly and Win. Badger died a few days later from his injuries. They were buried in St Philip's churchyard and a memorial, consisting of a pillar base made by one of the workmen for the Town Hall, was dedicated to them. Architect Charles Edge was commissioned in 1835 to repair weaknesses to the design of the building. He was also commissioned for the extension of the building in 1837 and again in 1850.

Built in brick, created in Selly Oak, and faced with Penmon Anglesey Marble presented to the town by Sir R. Bulkeley, proprietor of the Penmon quarries, the hall is modelled on the Temple of Castor and Pollux in Rome. Some limestone was used in its construction and fossils of plants and animals are visible. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the front arches were glazed to create an entrance foyer.

Charles Dickens gave public readings here to raise money for the Birmingham and Midland Institute, and Mendelssohn's "Elijah" and Elgar's "The Dream of Gerontius" were both premiered. Sir Arthur Sullivan's "Overture di Ballo" was also premièred here in August 1870, as part of the Triennial Musical Festival which commissioned new works for every season. The hall was the home venue for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 1918 until 1991 when they moved to Symphony Hall.

In November 1880, the Hall was filled to capacity for a Birmingham public protest meeting in support of Revd. Richard Enraght, Vicar of Holy Trinity, Bordesley, who was imprisoned in Warwick Prison under the Disraeli Government's Public Worship Regulation Act. [G. Wakelin (1895) The Oxford Movement, Sketches and Recollections.]

Popular music has also featured, and in the 1960s and 1970s, headline acts such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan appeared.

On August 9 1902, the town hall, along with the council house, was illuminated in celebration of the coronation of King Edward VII. It was illuminated again on June 22 1911 for the coronation of King George V. In 1901, it was the scene of rioting on the occasion of a visit by Lloyd George.

It featured prominently in the 1967 Peter Watkins film "Privilege" and doubled for the Royal Albert Hall in 1996s "Brassed Off".

In 1937, as part of the celebrations for the Coronation of George VI, the Town Hall was regaled in the various Arms of the Lord of the Manor of Birmingham since 1166 and each column festooned with garlands. The pediment also had images of Britannia, supported by mermaids, which were sculpted by William Bloye. This decorative scheme for the Town Hall and the whole of the city was devised by William Haywood, Secretary of The Birmingham Civic Society.

Renovations

The Hall closed in 1996 for a £35 million refurbishment, undertaken by Wates Construction, that has seen the Town Hall brought back to its original glory with its 6,000-pipe organ still in place. The project was funded by £18.3 million from Birmingham City Council, £13.7 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £3 million from the European Regional Development Fund. The town hall's organist performed a piece of music to a group of school children in 2005 after the majority of the organ had been cleaned. However, the organist and the children all had to wear hard hats as the risk of falling debris remained. The hall is now managed by the trustees of the Symphony Hall. It reopened on 4 October 2007, and is to offer concerts again. [ [http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/news/tm_headline=35m-restoration-brings-town-hall-back-to-life%26method=full%26objectid=19902096%26siteid=50002-name_page.html "£35m restoration brings Town Hall back to life"] - Birmingham Post, Oct 5 2007] [ [http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/news/tm_headline=town-hall-comes-out-of-the-shadows%26method=full%26objectid=19902094%26siteid=50002-name_page.html "Town Hall comes out of the shadows"] - Birmingham Post, Oct 5 2007] At 1,100, the seating capacity is about half that of Symphony Hall. [ [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/whats_on/article2528782.ece "Hall’s well - Birmingham’s revived Town Hall is a world-beater"] - Times Online, September 29, 2007]

During the years of refurbishment the side of the Town Hall facing Victoria Square was hidden by giant advertising sheets, a giant advent calendar, and during the 2002 FIFA World Cup a large outside television screen that was used to broadcast live matches from Korea and Japan. Although the television screen was only temporary, another "Big Screen" was erected on the corner of the building in Chamberlain Square facing Birmingham Central Library, which broadcast live from the television channel BBC One. The BBC Big Screen controversially [ [http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_method=full%26objectid=18861865%26siteid=50002-name_page.html "Chamberlain Square big screen `an eyesore`"] - Birmingham Mail, Apr 5 2007] [ [http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/news/tm_method=full%26objectid=19072343%26siteid=50002-name_page.html "No permission but big screen remains"] - Birmingham Post, May 9 2007] [ [http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_method=full%26objectid=19196177%26siteid=50002-name_page.html "Plug is pulled on big screen"] - Birmingham Mail, May 25 2007] sited next to the rear of the building, facing Chamberlain Square, has been removed.

The Town Hall is now also used as the venue for Graduation Ceremonies of Aston University, over 4 days in July 2008.

References

*cite book | last=Holyoak | first=Joe | title=All About Victoria Square | location=Birmingham | publisher=The Victorian Society Birmingham Group | year=1989 | isbn=090165714X
*cite book | last=Foster | first=Andy | title=Pevsner Architectural Guides - Birmingham | location=New Haven | publisher=Yale University Press | year=2005 | isbn=0300107315
*cite book | last=Thistlewaite | first=Nicholas | title=Birmingham Town Hall Organ | location=Birmingham | publisher=Birmingham City Council | year=1984 | oclc=30721233

External links

* [http://www.thsh.co.uk/ Birmingham Town Hall official website]
* [http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/townhall Birmingham City Council page about Birmingham Town Hall]
* [http://www.virtualbrum.co.uk/townhall.htm Another page about Birmingham Town Hall]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2006/09/19/birmingham_town_hall_restoration_feature.shtml BBC on the reopening in October 2007]
* [http://www.mander-organs.com/portfolio/birm.html Mander Organ: Birmingham Town Hall organ]
*IoEentry|217694|Images of England - photograph and details from listed building text
* [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet.asp?sheetid=10098&ox=916&oy=1289&zm=1&czm=1&x=241&y=419 1890 Ordnance Survey map of the town hall]
* [http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/cityliving/page.cfm?objectid=18395401&method=full&siteid=50002 Birmingham Post article about the refurbishment and reopening]