R
Rod
Guest
Can anyone of you find out who designed the Hall of Memory, Birmingham Council House, and The Town Hall please? I can then add the information to the relevant pages on the Birmingham History site TA FOLKS O0
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Who Designed the Hall of Memory, Birmingham Council House, and The Town Hall
M
mike-g
Guest
From City of Birmingham Council House Centenary booklet Birmingham Past and Present 1879- 1979
In 1871 H R Yeoville Thomason became the official architect for the Council House. A tender of £84,000 was accepted from Messrs Barnsley for its construction. .......... When it was all added up, the total ecpenditure in the building was
£163,805. :knuppel2:
In 1871 H R Yeoville Thomason became the official architect for the Council House. A tender of £84,000 was accepted from Messrs Barnsley for its construction. .......... When it was all added up, the total ecpenditure in the building was
£163,805. :knuppel2:
M
mike-g
Guest
Sorry prssed the wrond button. In the late 1890s the Council House was fully occupied and more space was desparataly needed. Architects Ashley & Newman won the bid fir tenders for the extension . It was completed in 1912 at a cost of £218.678
Peter Walker
gone but not forgotten
The story of Joseph Hansom and his involvement with the Town Hall is well covered in the standard histories, and it is very interesting. If nobody beats me to it I will do a shorter version for this site some time soon. He spent well over the top, but what a stupendous result! By a long, long way the most dignified building in the city, and planted in the middle of absolute squalour at the time.
The same goes for the Council House by Yeoville Thomason, who designed Smethwick Town Hall, various churches, a synagogue and at least one Masonic Hall. 50 years ago I did a survey of parts of the Council House, taking details of all the mouldings and decorations. I was intrigued the following year when we visited the Paris Opera, to see exactly the same profiles had been used. I may write something about it soon.
Same goes for the Hall of Memory.
Peter
The same goes for the Council House by Yeoville Thomason, who designed Smethwick Town Hall, various churches, a synagogue and at least one Masonic Hall. 50 years ago I did a survey of parts of the Council House, taking details of all the mouldings and decorations. I was intrigued the following year when we visited the Paris Opera, to see exactly the same profiles had been used. I may write something about it soon.
Same goes for the Hall of Memory.
Peter
H
hmld
Guest
WHY IS THE PROPOSITION SO DIFFICULT?
FEEDBACK MARVELOUS.
I MEAN IN THE FIRST PLACE
- and there is SO MUCH MORE to it than that (220.oo round figures? - HOW MUCH DID VAUXHALL COST)
et seq
FEEDBACK MARVELOUS.
I MEAN IN THE FIRST PLACE
- and there is SO MUCH MORE to it than that (220.oo round figures? - HOW MUCH DID VAUXHALL COST)
et seq
According to "The Birmingham City Handbook 1939", the first brick for the Town Hall was laid on April 27th, 1832, and early in 1834, before the Town Hall was opened Hansom was made bankcrupt. When the Town Hall was opened in October 1834, Hansom was forgotten, and it was not until 100 years later when the centenary of the opening of the building was celebrated, that the work Hansom had done was commemorated. On that day the Lord Mayor of Birmingham unveiled two plaques, one recording the work of Joseph Aloysius Hansom as the architect of Birmingham's most famous building and the second the names of the Street Commissioners and the members of the Town Hall Committee. The centenary celebrations included a concert at which certain of the works particulary associated with the Hall were performed. Hansom achieved more fame by his invention of a "patent safety cab" known to the past generation as the "Hansom Cab" then by his design for Birmingham's Town Hall. He was also unfortunate in this venture, all he received as a result of his invention was £300.00. Before he died in 1882 he designed many well-known buildings including several churches. One of the best of these is St. Walburge's at Preston, but he never surpassed the simplicity and dignity of Birmingham's Town Hall, the main lines of which were modelled on the Temple of Jupiter Strator at Rome.
R
Rod
Guest
Brilliant, thank you Loisand
The local architect, who took over from J.A. Hansom and E. Welch, was Charles Edge who had designed the Market Hall, he was appointed the supervising architect and he added two bays to accomodate the organ. The building was opened before its completion for the Musical Festival of 1834. Mendelssohn's Elijah and Elgar's Dream of Gerontius were first performed here. :flower: :cat:
O
O.C.
Guest
Loisand, A few more interesting facts about the Town Hall which I found in a book dated 1866 which might interest you
Work commenced in 1832, but was not perfectly completed till 1850. It is constructed of Anglesea marble, its principal dimensions
Height of the basement. 23 feet.
Height of the columns. 36 feet.
Diameter of the columns. 3 feet 6 inches.
Height of the capitals. 4 feet.
Weight of each column. 26 tons.
Its dimensions are length, 145 feet; breadth, 65 feet height, 65 feet. It can afford comfortable sitting room for upwards of 4000 persons and double that number have often stood beneath its roof, in 1866 the decorations were of the most elegant and tasteful description. The lower part of the walls were painted grey, toned with red and yellow the upper part being enamelled in imitation of Sienna marble. The pilasters are richly gilt, strict attention being paid to classical models in their various details. The gallery fronts are in bronze and gold, and are lined with crimson cloth. The covered sides of the roof are divided into recessed panels, and are adorned with the egg and tooth moulding, and richly gilt and painted. The ceiling, gilding and painting of which is gorgeous, is divided into three compartments, each enclosing a large circle, divided into deeply-recessed radiating panels, diminishing in size towards the centre, where there is magnificent sunlight gas-burner. At the back of the Orchestra is a splendid organ, said to be unsurpassed by any in Europe. This organ, which was the property of the Governors of the General Hospital, was erected for the triennial musical festivals, which were held there for the benefit of that institution. Its weight is about 45 tons; and its trackers, if laid out in a straight line, would extend above five miles. The orchestra is further adorned with a colossal bust of Mendelssohn.
On the ground-floor there is a room similar in size to the one already described. The building contains numerous other apartments.
Work commenced in 1832, but was not perfectly completed till 1850. It is constructed of Anglesea marble, its principal dimensions
Height of the basement. 23 feet.
Height of the columns. 36 feet.
Diameter of the columns. 3 feet 6 inches.
Height of the capitals. 4 feet.
Weight of each column. 26 tons.
Its dimensions are length, 145 feet; breadth, 65 feet height, 65 feet. It can afford comfortable sitting room for upwards of 4000 persons and double that number have often stood beneath its roof, in 1866 the decorations were of the most elegant and tasteful description. The lower part of the walls were painted grey, toned with red and yellow the upper part being enamelled in imitation of Sienna marble. The pilasters are richly gilt, strict attention being paid to classical models in their various details. The gallery fronts are in bronze and gold, and are lined with crimson cloth. The covered sides of the roof are divided into recessed panels, and are adorned with the egg and tooth moulding, and richly gilt and painted. The ceiling, gilding and painting of which is gorgeous, is divided into three compartments, each enclosing a large circle, divided into deeply-recessed radiating panels, diminishing in size towards the centre, where there is magnificent sunlight gas-burner. At the back of the Orchestra is a splendid organ, said to be unsurpassed by any in Europe. This organ, which was the property of the Governors of the General Hospital, was erected for the triennial musical festivals, which were held there for the benefit of that institution. Its weight is about 45 tons; and its trackers, if laid out in a straight line, would extend above five miles. The orchestra is further adorned with a colossal bust of Mendelssohn.
On the ground-floor there is a room similar in size to the one already described. The building contains numerous other apartments.
H
hmld
Guest
ASTOUNDING. WHAT HAPPENED? IT SEEMS CHARACTERISTIC OF A GENERALIZED PSYCHIC IMPLOSION OF APATHY-DEPRESSION WHICH EVENTUATED IN OVERDRIVE IN THE 1970s AFTER THE RAVAGE OF THE 1960s.
THE AMOUNT OF FIXTURES AND FITTINGS THAT WERE EITHER SMASHED TO SMITHEREENS OR SOLD AS PLUNDERED FROM SUCH ALTARPIECES OF VICTORIANA IS BEYOND MIND BOGGLING.
THX FOR THE DESCRIPTION. WHEN I NAVIGATED THE HALL AS A BOY IT WAS SHABBY.
OF COURSE THE BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND INSTITUTE CONJOINT CENTRAL LIBRARY ALONGSIDE WAS ANOTHER MONUMENTAL FEAT IMBECILIC DESTRUCTION.
I REMEMBER IT BEING PULVERIZED WITH NO ATTEMPT TO SALVAGE ANY OF THE PRECISION ENGINEERED FIXTURES AND FITTINGS (BMI that is).
THE AMOUNT OF FIXTURES AND FITTINGS THAT WERE EITHER SMASHED TO SMITHEREENS OR SOLD AS PLUNDERED FROM SUCH ALTARPIECES OF VICTORIANA IS BEYOND MIND BOGGLING.
THX FOR THE DESCRIPTION. WHEN I NAVIGATED THE HALL AS A BOY IT WAS SHABBY.
OF COURSE THE BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND INSTITUTE CONJOINT CENTRAL LIBRARY ALONGSIDE WAS ANOTHER MONUMENTAL FEAT IMBECILIC DESTRUCTION.
I REMEMBER IT BEING PULVERIZED WITH NO ATTEMPT TO SALVAGE ANY OF THE PRECISION ENGINEERED FIXTURES AND FITTINGS (BMI that is).
