Leeds Town Hall
| Leeds Town Hall | |
|---|---|
 Leeds Town Hall - Victorian civic confidence |
|
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Classical/Baroque |
| Town or city | Leeds |
| Country | England |
| Construction started | 1853 |
| Completed | 1858 |
| Design and construction | |
| Client | Corporation of Leeds |
| Architect | Cuthbert Brodrick |
Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane (now The Headrow), Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Background
Until the early 1813, the Moot Hall, situated at the top of Briggate, served as the county seat for Leeds Corporation and was also used for judicial purposes. This was replaced by a new court house on Park Row, Leeds.
Leeds went through a period of rapid growth in the first half of the 19th century and by the mid-19th century it became apparent that the court house was no longer large enough for the functions it performed. In July 1850, Leeds Borough Council decided to build a new town hall and established a committee to assess the opinions of Leeds' inhabitants as to the building of a new municipal hall.
In order to finance the new town hall, the council proposed to sell shares in the building to the value of £10, this method quickly failed. The council then proposed to introduce a specific rate to be levied to fund the building of a town hall. The tax was not introduced until after the November 1850 local election, although most of the inhabitants of the city who would have paid the tax at the time lacked voting rights. The town hall was approved in January 1851, when Alderman Hepper put the motion to the council and it was carried by 24 votes to 12.[2]
Leeds Town Hall was proposed to represent Leeds' emergence as an important industrial centre during the Industrial Revolution and is a symbol of civic pride and confidence. Leeds Corporation tendered for designs from architects and the contract was won by Cuthbert Brodrick, an unknown architect from Kingston upon Hull who had trained in Paris.
[edit] Records
Leeds Town Hall is one of the largest town halls in the United Kingdom and as of 2008[update] it is the eighth tallest building in Leeds. It was opened by Queen Victoria, highlighting its status as an important civic structure. It is a Grade I listed building.
With a height of 225 feet (68.6 m) it was the tallest building in Leeds from its construction in 1858 until 1966, when it lost the title to the Park Plaza Hotel, which stands 8 metres (26 ft) taller at 77 metres (253 ft). It has held the title longer than any other building, a record 108 years. The distinctive clock tower, which serves as a symbol of Leeds was not part of the initial design but was added by Brodrick in 1856 as the civic leaders sought to make an even grander statement.
[edit] Intended functions
The town hall was built to house various council offices, as the new courtroom facility for the city, as a police station or 'central charge office', and to provide a venue for concerts and civic events.
The town hall still has a role as a council office, although many departments have been relocated to neighbouring buildings.[3]
[edit] Controversy
Leeds Town Hall was subject to much criticism during its construction. The original estimated costs were vastly exceeded but the corporation paid excess at a time when there was great poverty among the Leeds' working classes.[4]
[edit] Historic usage
The building's principal performance space, the richly decorated Victoria Hall, is the main venue for orchestral concerts in central Leeds. Its concert organ, the largest three manual example in Europe, is used for lunchtime organ recitals, many given by city organist Dr Simon Lindley.
On 26 May 1868 a bazaar was held in the town hall to help pay debts incurred for the building the Mechanics Institute, these were around £6,000.[5]
Leeds Town hall was for some time, home to a breeding pair of kestrels.
[edit] Replacement
Leeds Civic Hall was commissioned by Leeds Corporation in a Keynesian project intended to provide work for the local unemployed. The Civic Hall opened in 1933 as the seat of Leeds City Council. Since then the Town Hall has been used for civic events such as concerts rather than council meetings.
[edit] Bombing
On 14 and 15 March 1941, Leeds received was bombed by the Luftwaffe. Houses were destroyed in Bramley, Burley, Armley and Beeston and bombs were dropped on the city centre, hitting the east side of the town hall and causing significant damage to the roof and walls on the Calverley Street side of the building. All the damage was repaired shortly after.[6]
[edit] Praise
Leeds Town Hall was used as a model for new buildings across Britain and the British Empire.[7]
In a BBC film released in the 1960s regarding the changing architecture of Leeds, poet John Betjeman, well known for his love of Victorian Architecture, praised Leeds Town Hall. He was less sympathetic towards City House (then British Railways House).[8]
On 29 November 2008, Leeds Town Hall and the town halls of Halifax, Paisley, Burslem, Hornsey, Manchester, Lynton, Dunfermline, Fordwich and Much Wenlock were selected as the "ten town halls to visit" by Architecture Today. They said: The epitome of northern civic bombast, Leeds' municipal palace has a grandeur that helps sustain the city's sense of its own importance. Its architect, Cuthbert Broderick, also contributed the Corn Exchange and City Museum before disappearing into obscurity.[9]
[edit] Modern uses
Today the Town Hall is mainly used for music concerts and formal civic functions. In 1999 and 2000, when the adjacent Central Library was being refurbished, Leeds Town Hall provided storage for the library's contents and a small lending library operated from the crypt. In 2003 a concert by American band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club had to be abandoned half way through the set as the floor started to move and officials feared collapse.[5][10][11] Along with the Great Hall of the University of Leeds, the Town Hall is the setting of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition.[12]
The town hall is also used by Leeds City Council as a register office. Weddings and civil partnerships can take place in the traditionally decorated Albert Suite or the more modern Brodrick Suite.
The former courtrooms are now the Albert Room, a conference suite with adjacent bar and canteen.[13]
[edit] Popular culture
The town hall was used for filming The New Statesman, often standing-in for parliament and other London based government offices.[citation needed]
[edit] Gallery
[edit] Plans and Documentation
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Park Lane (now The Headrow) in 1847. A small park lies on the site of the town hall
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A map showing Park House (the site of the town hall) in 1852
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First drawing for the proposed town hall
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Order of procession for the laying of the foundation stone
[edit] Interior
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Ceiling of the entrance hall
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Interior showing the pipe organ
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Wrathmell, Susan; with Minnis, John (2005). Leeds (Pevsner Architectural Guides). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. pp. 60–67. ISBN 0-30010-736-6.
- ^ http://www.leeds.gov.uk/discover/discovery.asp?page=200335_519878567
- ^ http://www.leodis.net/discovery/discovery.asp?pageno=&page=200335_519878567&topic=200335_720256985
- ^ http://www.leodis.net/discovery/discovery.asp?pageno=&page=200335_519878567&topic=200335_854717434
- ^ http://www.leodis.net/discovery/discovery.asp?page=200335_519878567
- ^ a b http://www.leeds.gov.uk/discover/discovery.asp?pageno=&page=200335_519878567&topic=200335_854717434
- ^ "Leeds in World War 2". mylearning. http://www.mylearning.org/jpage.asp?jpageid=839&journeyid=226imgurl=http://www.mylearning.org/jpage.asp?jpageid=839&journeyid=226. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
- ^ "How we built Britain". http://www.architecture.com/HowWeBuiltBritain/HistoricalPeriods/Victorian/MunicipalBuildings/LeedsTownHall.aspximgurl=http://www.architecture.com/HowWeBuiltBritain/HistoricalPeriods/Victorian/MunicipalBuildings/LeedsTownHall.aspx. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
- ^ http://www.leedsfilm.com/films.aspx?id=111
- ^ "Ten town halls to visit". Daily Telegraph. 29 Nov 2008. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/3534951/Ten-town-halls-to-visit.html. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
- ^ http://www.leedsmusicscene.net/article/1583/
- ^ http://www.blackrebelmotorcycleclub.com/tourarchive/2004/02/14/?s=402
- ^ http://www.leedspiano.com/Home/Competition_History.aspx
- ^ http://www.leodis.net/discovery/discovery.asp?pageno=&page=200335_519878567&topic=200335_840862453
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Leeds Town Hall |
- Leeds City Council information about the Town Hall
- Virtual Tour inside Leeds Town Hall
- Details from listed building database (465669) - Leeds Town Hall - Grade I. Images of England. English Heritage.
Coordinates: 53°48′01″N 1°32′59″W / 53.8003°N 1.5497°W
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