Bradford City Hall
| Bradford City Hall | |
|---|---|
City Hall
|
|
| General 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; 1914 |
| Cost | £100,000 in 1873 |
| Client | Bradford Council |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Gaisby rock sandstone |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Lockwood and Mawson 1873 Norman Shaw 1909 William Williamson 1914 |
Bradford City Hall is a Grade I listed, 19th century town hall in Centenary Square, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It is notable for its landmark bell/clock tower.
The building was designed by Lockwood and Mawson, and opened in 1873.
Winston Churchill gave his first speech after the Second Battle of El Alamein outside the hall in which he called for the people to 'go forward together and put these grave matters to the proof'.
Before its relocation, between 1847 and 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. 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. It was opened on 9 September 1873, on a very wet day 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, 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 and listed grade I on 14 June 1963.
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.
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Wikipedia