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Birmingham Town Hall

I suppose as a monument it makes the grade but as a building it's a failure. The previous photo's show how much space is lost under the roof. There is more space on the outside, under the roof, than on the inside. When the ring road was built it was hard to decide which buildings to remove and the thought of public outcry, if the Town Hall was chosen, meant that the other buildings around were demolished...the wonderful old Central Library and Midland Institute...the College and buildings on Edmund St. A high price to pay for a scheme that possibly might have been deep sixed now. On the positive side the western aspect of the T.H. is improved with the other buildings gone.
 
Seems weird having traffic going up and around Victoria and Chamberlain Square's. Especially now that they have been pedestrianised for a long time now.
 
Yes does seem weird Ell. And many of the images through time show a bus, horse drawn cab, cabmens shelter etc just in front of the Town Hall. So it's been a major thoroughfare/stopping off/picking up point in the City over a very long time.

Rupert, yes it does seem odd about the wasted space. And it must have been a pain in the neck for the Town Planners over time. The other odd thing is it's always been called the Town Hall. Usually these are places for administration and this has never been for that purpose.

Now these features on the Town Hall roof have disappeared. I wonder why? Viv.

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Certain bits were removed during the last major restoration.

Saw this piece in the Birmingham History Galleries last year



And this one



This shows where they went




Don't know what happened to the bits you are referring to Viv.
 
My old maths teacher (late 1960s) used to say the Town Hall was a missmatch of architectural styles but I always quite liked it. We went there for an Edith Piaff concern 2 weeks ago and the inside is good but smaller than you expect (as you say).
 
Good comparisons Ell. Does make you wonder how this part of town would have developed had the decision gone the other way when the Ring Road was developed re. Rupert's post #222. Viv.
 
Luckily they didn't build the ring road around there or Colmore Row / New Street.

All mostly pedestrianised now (not Colmore Row - but not much traffic uses it other than buses).
 
ellbrown said:
Seems weird having traffic going up and around Victoria and Chamberlain Square's. Especially now that they have been pedestrianised for a long time now.
Click to expand...

Some time back, I was trying to find material about the old Birmingham Carnival. The regular route was down Broad St then New Street. This used to have a full parade of floats (probably the biggest parade the city has seen) - sometimes twice on the day. I don't think that route has been viable since they built the ringway but I seem to remember it still happening throughout the 60s.
 
Was that the thing organised by the junior chamber of commerce, or which had something to do with them. I seem to remember someone I knew in the 1970s being involved in it
 
Those pics are great ell. Funny how we usually prefer the before than the after. But I guess more people more cars, buses and all that. Nice that we considered pedestrianisation tho.
 
This 1910 postcard of the Town Hall shows a view along Paradise Street. In the distance is a building I don't recognise. It can't be the Hall of Memory or the Civic Centre because they weren't built until later. Any ideas? Viv.
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Do you mean the 'faceted' building? I think that it's the entrance to the Old Wharf in Paradise Street
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Thanks Ell and Leslam. Yes, that's it, looks like your Old Wharf photo Leslam. I've never seen it from this viewpoint before. Viv.
 
Sandbags around the Town Hall WW2. How were those sandbags supported? I thought those arches were open at this time (although I think someone mentioned on here they're now glassed in). Viv.

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Makes sense to put windows in them Ell. And it doesn't spoil or change the original look of the building. But imagine if the Haywood vision of the approach to the Town Hall from Navigation Street had been adopted ..... Stunning. Viv.

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Instead we have Paradise Circus and Victoria Square either side!

You can't even see it from Navigation Street today, with other buildings in the way (from street level).
 
Yes that's the case from most viewpoints. Even the view up Hill Street since the removal of the bridge hasn't changed that either. Viv.

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Viv - I took some pics of the modern view from Navigation Street up Hill Street.

On the left is Swallow House (built 1983) and on the right Victoria Square House (built 1991).

Can still see the Council House / Museum & Art Gallery from here.



 
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