Methodist Central Hall, Westminster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Methodist Central Hall |
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Front entrance
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 Methodist Central Hall
Location in Greater London
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| 51°30′00″N 0°07′48″W / 51.50000°N 0.13000°W | |
| Location | Westminster, London, SW1 |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Methodist Church of Great Britain |
| Architecture | |
| Style |
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| Groundbreaking | 1905 |
| Completed | 1911 |
| Construction cost | £496,152 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 2,300 (Great Hall) |
| Administration | |
| Circuit | Westminster |
| District | London |
The Methodist Central Hall, also known as Central Hall Westminster, is a large building in Westminster, London. It is mainly used as a Methodist church and a place for big meetings. The building also has an art gallery, a restaurant, and offices.
It has 22 rooms for meetings and workshops. The biggest room is the Great Hall, which can hold 2,300 people. Central Hall is also a very important spiritual place for Methodists. It is located near Westminster Abbey and the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre.
Contents
History of Central Hall Westminster
Why was Central Hall built?
The Methodist Central Hall was built by a group called the Wesleyan Methodists. They wanted a place that was not just a church. It was also meant to be useful for meetings about religion, education, science, and helping others.
The building was constructed between 1905 and 1911. It stands where an old entertainment complex, the Royal Aquarium, used to be. The money for building the hall came from a special fund. This fund aimed to collect one million guineas (an old British coin) from one million Methodists. They actually raised even more than their goal!
Important Events at Central Hall
Central Hall has been the site of many important moments.
In 1914, meetings for the suffragette movement took place here. The suffragettes were women who fought for the right to vote. Scenes from the 2015 film Suffragette were even filmed in the hall.
In 1946, the Methodist Central Hall hosted the very first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. This was a huge event where countries came together to talk about world peace. To thank the church for using their hall, the assembly paid to have the church walls repainted a light blue color.
Many famous people have spoken at political gatherings here. These include Winnie Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Mikhail Gorbachev.
In 1968, the first public show of Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat happened at Central Hall. His father, who was the music director there, and his brother, a cellist, also performed.
The Missing World Cup Trophy
In 1966, the FIFA World Cup Jules Rimet Trophy was on display at Central Hall. This was before the football tournament was held in England. But on March 20, 1966, the trophy was stolen from the hall! Luckily, it was found seven days later in south London. The thief was never caught. England went on to win the trophy that year.
More recently, in 2017, Central Hall hosted the final of the first FIFA Interactive World Cup. This is a big video game competition.
Architecture of Central Hall
The Methodist Central Hall is a very special building. It is listed as a Grade II* building, meaning it is very important. It was designed by Edwin Alfred Rickards. The building has a grand Baroque style, which looks different from Westminster Abbey nearby. It was one of the first buildings in Britain to use a strong concrete frame.
The original plan in 1904 included two small towers on the front. But these were never built. People thought they would make the famous towers of Westminster Abbey look less important. The hall was finished in 1911.
The huge domed ceiling of the Great Hall is said to be the second largest of its kind in the world. This massive dome shows how the hall was meant to be a big meeting place.
The beautiful angels on the outside of the building were designed by a sculptor named Henry Poole.
The Grand Organ
The hall has a very large and impressive organ. It was built in 1912 and has been updated several times. This organ has 3,789 pipes and four keyboards! It creates amazing music for services and concerts.
Images for kids
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Central Hall at night time
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A view of London from the roof of Central Hall, looking to the east
See also
In Spanish: Methodist Central Hall para niños
