Birmingham Town Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Birmingham Town Hall |
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Birmingham Town Hall, March 2009
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| General information | |
| Type | Concert hall |
| Architectural style | Classical |
| Location | Victoria Square |
| Town or city | Birmingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 52°28′47″N 1°54′13″W / 52.4796°N 1.9037°W |
| Current tenants | B:Music |
| Construction started | 27 April 1832 |
| Opened | 7 October 1834 |
| Renovated | 1996—2007 |
| Cost | 25,000 Pound sterling |
| Renovation cost | 35 million Pound sterling |
| Owner | Birmingham City Council |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Joseph Hansom & Edward Welch |
| Main contractor | Thomas & Kendall |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Rodney Melville Partners and associated architects |
| Renovating firm | Wates Group |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 1,086 |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Birmingham Town Hall | |
| Designated: | 25 April 1952 |
| Reference #: | 1343161 |
The Birmingham Town Hall is a famous concert hall and meeting place in Birmingham, England. It first opened its doors in 1834. You can find it in Victoria Square. This historic building is so important that it's a Grade I listed building.
Between 2002 and 2007, the hall had a big makeover. Today, it hosts many different events. You can enjoy jazz, folk, rock, pop, and classical concerts. It also has organ recitals, spoken word events, dance shows, and family performances. The hall is also used for meetings, product launches, and graduation ceremonies.
Contents
History of Birmingham Town Hall
The idea for Birmingham Town Hall came from the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival. This festival started in 1784 to raise money for the General Hospital. The church they used, St Philip's Church, became too small. So, the city needed a new, bigger place for concerts and public meetings.
City planners looked at two possible locations. They chose the Paradise Street site, even though it was more expensive. A competition was held to find the best design. Sixty-seven designs were submitted.
Building the Hall
Joseph Hansom, known for the Hansom cab, and Edward Welch were chosen as the architects. They thought the building would cost about £8,000. This was a lot of money back then! Birmingham Town Hall was one of the first large town halls built in Victorian England. Its design was inspired by the ancient Temple of Castor and Pollux in Rome. This Roman style was chosen to show a sense of public pride and strength.
Work on the building started on April 27, 1832. It was supposed to be finished in 1833. However, Joseph Hansom faced money problems during construction. The builders also struggled. Luckily, three people named W. P. Lloyd, John Welch, and Edward Tench gave money to help. Thanks to their help, the hall was finished. It officially opened for the Music Festival on October 7, 1834.
A huge 6,000-pipe organ was built for the hall by William Hill & Sons of London. It cost £6,000.
Famous Moments and Performances
Many famous events and people have been part of the Town Hall's history. In 1853, author Charles Dickens gave his first public readings of his own stories here. He read to raise money for the Birmingham and Midland Institute.
The hall has also hosted many important musical premieres. Mendelssohn's Elijah was first performed here in 1846. Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius premiered in 1900. Arthur Sullivan's Overture di Ballo also had its first performance here. These were all part of the Triennial Musical Festival.
From 1918 to 1991, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra called the Town Hall its home. They later moved to Symphony Hall.
In 1902, the Town Hall was lit up to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. In 1937, for the coronation of George VI, the building was decorated with the coats of arms of Birmingham's past Lords. Sculptures of Britannia and mermaids were added to the front.
The Town Hall has also welcomed many popular music stars. In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, famous bands and singers performed here. These included Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan.
The hall has even appeared in movies! It was in the 1967 film Privilege. It also pretended to be the Royal Albert Hall in the 1996 film Brassed Off.
Renovations and Reopening
In 1996, the Town Hall closed for a big renovation project. This cost £35 million! Wates Construction carried out the work. The goal was to bring the Town Hall back to its original beauty. The 6,000-pipe organ stayed in place.
The project was paid for by Birmingham City Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the European Regional Development Fund. An upper gallery that was added in the 1920s was removed. This made the inside of the hall look more like it did when it first opened.
The Birmingham City Organist, Thomas Trotter, kept the organ in good shape during the renovation. He played it every month from 1996 to 2005. The hall is now managed by Performances Birmingham Limited, a charity that also runs Symphony Hall. The Town Hall can seat about 1,100 people.
The hall officially reopened for concerts on October 4, 2007. The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall officially reopened it on April 22, 2008.
During the renovation, large advertising sheets covered the side of the Town Hall facing Victoria Square. There was even a giant advent calendar and a big outdoor TV screen during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Later, another "Big Screen" was put up on the corner of the building. It showed live broadcasts from BBC One. This screen was later removed.
Architecture of the Hall
The Town Hall looks like a free-standing Corinthian temple. It has 14 sections from north to south and 8 sections from east to west. It is very similar to the Temple of Castor and Pollux in Rome. It has a tall, rough-looking base made of stone. This is called a rusticated podium.
The building's columns have special tops called capitals. These feature Acanthus leaves in a unique swirling design. Above these, there's a simple entablature with a plain architrave and dentil cornice. Behind the columns, the main hall has tall windows with decorative frames. At the south end, there's an arched entrance area that was enclosed in 1995. This is now the main entrance.
The building is made of bricks from Selly Oak. It is covered with Penmon Anglesey Marble. This marble was given to the town by Sir Richard Bulkeley, who owned the Penmon quarries.
The Pipe Organ
The Town Hall is very well-known for its concert pipe organ. When it was first installed in 1834 by William Hill & Sons, it had 6,000 pipes. At that time, it was one of the biggest and most advanced organs in the world! In 1888, Charles William Perkins became the first official City Organist for the Town Hall. The organ was later restored in 1932.
Images for kids
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The columns on the east side of Birmingham Town Hall
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Birmingham Town Hall north end, facing the library
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Birmingham Town Hall south end, main entrance
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Birmingham Town Hall west side.
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Birmingham Town Hall and Council House photographed from Victoria Square
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Music Festival in 1834 after the installation of William Hill's organ
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A memorial to two workers who died during the building's construction.
See also
In Spanish: Ayuntamiento de Birmingham (edificio) para niños
