Auckland Town Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Auckland Town Hall |
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Exterior of venue viewed from Queen Street
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| General information | |
| Type | Civic |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance Revival |
| Location | Auckland CBD |
| Address | 305 Queen Street, Auckland, New Zealand |
| Construction started | 1909 |
| Inaugurated | 14 December 1911 |
| Renovated | 1994-97 |
| Cost | £126,000 |
| Renovation cost | $32.8 million |
| Owner | Auckland Council |
| Height | 45 m (148 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | J Clark and Sons |
| Renovating team | |
| Structural engineer | Sinclair Knight Merz |
| Civil engineer | Downer Group |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 1,529 (Great Hall) 431 (Concert Chamber) |
| Designated: | 27 July 1988 |
| Reference #: | 549 |
The Auckland Town Hall is a beautiful old building in the heart of Auckland, New Zealand. It's on Queen Street and was built in the Edwardian style. This important building is used for many things. It hosts Auckland Council meetings and other official events. It also has a famous Great Hall and a Concert Chamber. These spaces are used for concerts and performances. The Town Hall is a very special heritage site. It is protected to make sure it stays safe for the future.
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History of the Town Hall
The idea for a town hall in Auckland started way back in 1872. People wanted a special building for the city's government. In 1880, a spot was chosen on the corner of Greys Avenue and Queen Street. But this area turned out to be too small. So, in 1883, the city bought more land next to it.
In 1908, a competition was held to find the best design for the new building. The winners were architects J.J. & E.J. Clark from Melbourne, Australia.
Building the Town Hall
Construction of the Town Hall began on February 24, 1909. The mayor at the time, Arthur Myers, laid the first foundation stone. The building was officially opened on December 14, 1911. Lord Islington, who was the Governor of New Zealand, opened it.
The Town Hall cost about £126,000 to build. This would be around $21 million today! It was made using special stones. The main part is made of light-coloured Oamaru limestone. The bottom part is made of a dark stone from Melbourne, Australia. The building also has a tall clock tower, which is 40 metres high.
The design of the Town Hall is called Italian Renaissance Revival. It looks a bit like the Lambeth Town Hall in London. For the first time, Auckland had a permanent place for its government and for entertainment. The Great Hall inside is very famous. It can seat 1,673 people and is known for having some of the best sound quality in the world.
When the Town Hall was first built, not everyone loved its look. Some people thought it looked like a "cheese wedge" or a "flat iron"!
Inside the Town Hall
The inside of the Town Hall is just as special as the outside. It has beautiful floors made of patterned tiles. The walls are covered with shiny ceramic tiles. The Council Chamber, where meetings are held, has lovely wood panels. It also has electric lights in an Art-Nouveau style. Stained glass windows add colour to all the main rooms. The ceilings have fancy plasterwork, especially in the Great Hall.
The big clock in the tower was a gift from Arthur Myers. He was a Member of Parliament and a former mayor of Auckland. The Great Hall's large pipe organ was given by Sir Henry Brett. Arthur Myers was a big supporter of the Town Hall project. He helped make it happen before and during his time as mayor.
Restoring the Building
The Town Hall's inside was carefully restored between 1994 and 1997. This big project cost about NZ$33 million. One reason for the restoration was to make the building safer. It needed to meet modern earthquake safety rules. Engineers found ways to make the building stronger without changing its historic look.
In 2007, the outside of the building was also restored. Some decorations had been taken off in the 1950s because of earthquake worries. Also, some of the stone had been damaged. These parts were carefully replaced with new stone from the same quarry. The sound quality inside the Great Hall was also improved. The old paint colours from the Edwardian era were brought back. Even the special tiles in the main entrance were fixed or replaced. The original carpet was remade to look exactly like the old one. All the stained glass windows were repaired. The whole building was also made safer from fire.
The Town Hall Organ
The Town Hall has a huge organ. It was built in 1911 and is the biggest musical instrument in New Zealand! It's so important that it's a 'Protected Object' under New Zealand law. The organ was paid for by former mayor Henry Brett. It was designed by an English organist named Edwin Lemare. A company in England called Norman and Beard built it.
In 1969-1970, the organ was changed a lot. Some parts were removed, and new ones were added. This made it sound different from its original powerful sound. In 2008, the organ was taken apart to be restored. A German company called Orgelbau Klais rebuilt it. They used some of the original parts, some newly found parts, and new elements. The organ came back to the Great Hall at the end of 2008. It is now the largest and most powerful organ in the country again.
Auckland City helped pay for the restoration, giving NZ$3 million. Another $500,000 was raised by people donating money. The restored organ was shown to the public on March 21, 2010. A special piece of music was written just for the occasion.
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
Since 2016, the Auckland Philharmonia orchestra has had its main office at the Auckland Town Hall. This is New Zealand's biggest city orchestra. They often perform in the Town Hall's Great Hall, so it's a perfect home for them.
Images for kids
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Town Hall entrance from Queen Street
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Overhead view of the Town Hall at night
See also
In Spanish: Ayuntamiento de Auckland para niños
