St George's Hall, Liverpool facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St George's Hall
St George's Hall
Location	St George's Place, Liverpool, England
OS grid reference	SJ 349 907
Built	1841–1854
Architects	Harvey Lonsdale Elmes Charles Cockerell
Architectural style(s)	Neoclassical
Listed Building – Grade I
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St George's Hall is a grand building in the heart of Liverpool, England. It stands proudly across from Lime Street railway station. Opened in 1854, this amazing building features a Neoclassical style, which means it looks like ancient Greek and Roman buildings.

Inside, St George's Hall has beautiful concert halls and former law courts. It's so important that it's listed as a Grade I building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a very special historic place. Around the hall, you'll find St George's Plateau on one side and St John's Gardens on the other. Since 2012, the Liverpool Register Office and Coroner's Court have been located here.

Building History

The land where St George's Hall now stands was once home to Liverpool's first hospital from 1749 to 1824. People in Liverpool loved music festivals, but they didn't have a big enough hall for them. So, in 1836, a group decided to build a large hall for concerts, meetings, and dinners. They raised money by selling shares.

In 1839, a competition was held to design the new hall. A young architect named Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, who was only 25, won the competition. At the same time, Liverpool also needed new courts for legal cases. Elmes won that design competition too. He then suggested combining both ideas into one huge building, which would be grander than most public buildings in the country.

Construction began in 1841, and the building officially opened in 1854. Sadly, Elmes passed away in 1847 before it was finished. Another architect, Charles Cockerell, took over and was mainly responsible for decorating the stunning interiors. The building cost a lot of money, over £300,000 at the time, which would be like £33 million today!

In the 2000s, St George's Hall underwent a big restoration project that cost £23 million. It was officially reopened on April 23, 2007, by Prince Charles.

Building Design

Inside the Hall

The northern end of St George's Hall

The biggest room inside is the Great Hall, also known as the Concert Hall. It's a long, rectangular room in the middle of the building, with a large organ on its north wall. Long hallways run along both sides of the Great Hall.

To the north of the Great Hall is the Civil Court, and further north is the North Entrance Hall. Above this, you can find the oval-shaped Small Concert Room. To the south of the Great Hall is the Crown Court, and then the South Entrance Hall. Above this is the Grand Jury Room. The basement below has many cells that were once used for prisoners.

Outside the Hall

The main entrance is on the east side, facing the railway station, and you reach it by climbing a wide set of steps. On these steps, you'll see a statue of Benjamin Disraeli. At the southeast corner, there's a bronze statue of Major-General William Earle. This front has a grand entrance with 16 tall Corinthian columns. Between these columns are detailed carvings called reliefs, which were added between 1882 and 1901.

The south side of the building also has a large entrance with eight columns. Above this entrance, there's a Latin message carved into the stone. It says, "For Arts, Law and Counsel the townspeople built this place in 1841."

Long ago, the triangular space above the south entrance (called a pediment) had sculptures of Britannia, a symbol of Britain. She was shown protecting farming and arts. However, these sculptures were removed in 1950 because they had become unsafe due to pollution.

• External features
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  Two of the four lion statues on St George's Plateau.

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  A lampholder on the east side, shaped like a Triton holding a Cornucopia.

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  A lampholder on the east side, shaped like a Nereid holding a Cornucopia.

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  One of the grand doors beneath the south entrance.

The Great Hall Interior

The Great Hall is a massive room, about 51 meters long, 23 meters wide, and 25 meters high. Its design was inspired by ancient Roman baths. The ceiling is a huge curved vault, built with hollow bricks, and decorated with plaster angels representing qualities like strength and wisdom.

The floor is incredibly detailed, made of over 30,000 colorful Minton tiles. It's usually covered to protect it. The floor features Liverpool's coat of arms and symbols of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The bronze doors have special openwork panels with the letters SPQL, which stands for "The Senate and the People of Liverpool," linking it to ancient Rome. Ten large chandeliers, originally lit by gas, hang in the hall, decorated with ship prows and Liver birds.

• The interior of the Great Hall
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  Inside the Great Hall, looking north. The floor has about 30,000 tiles.

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  The letters SPQL, meaning "The Senate and the People of Liverpool."

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  One of the heavy bronze doors, designed by Cockerell.

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  A detail of a door, showing the head of Mercury.

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  The wide barrel-vaulted ceiling, completed in 1849.

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  The south stained-glass window, showing St. George fighting the dragon.

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  The north stained-glass window, with Liverpool's coat of arms, Neptune, and a triton.

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  One of the ten chandeliers, decorated with ship prows, Neptune, and Liver birds.

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  Part of the Minton Floor, showing Liverpool's coat of arms and national symbols.

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  A section of the Minton floor, showing Neptune and other mythical figures.

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  Another part of the Minton floor, with Liverpool's coat of arms and a Latin motto.

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  The central part of the Minton floor, with the Royal Coat of Arms used by Queen Victoria.

The Great Hall also features many statues of important historical figures. In 2012, a statue of Kitty Wilkinson was unveiled, marking the first statue of a woman in the hall in over a century. The beautiful stained-glass windows at each end of the hall were added in 1883–84.

• Statues in the Great Hall
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  Sir Robert Peel, sculpted in 1854.

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  William Roscoe, sculpted in 1841.

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  William Brown, sculpted in 1860.

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  14th Earl of Derby, sculpted in 1869.

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  William Ewart Gladstone, sculpted in 1869.

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  Samuel Robert Graves, sculpted in 1875.

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  Edward Whitley, sculpted in 1895.

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  16th Earl of Derby, sculpted in 1911.

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  Rev. Jonathan Brooks, sculpted in 1858-59.

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  George Stephenson, sculpted in 1854.

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  Hugh M‘Neile, sculpted in 1871.

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  Kitty Wilkinson, sculpted in 2012.

The Small Concert Room

The Small Concert Room, designed by Charles Robert Cockerell, was finished in 1856. It's an oval-shaped room, about 22 meters by 23 meters, and could originally hold 1,100 people. It's known for its rich decorations. Famous author Charles Dickens often gave readings here. The room was refurbished between 2000 and 2007, and now seats 480 people.

Heating and Ventilation System

In the basement of St George's Hall, there's a special heating and ventilation system designed by Dr. Boswell Reid. This was one of the first attempts in the UK to create an air-conditioned public building. The system aimed to warm and circulate fresh air without creating drafts.

Air was drawn in through shafts, warmed by hot water pipes, and moved by large fans. On hot days, cold water was used to cool the air. This clever system allowed different parts of the building to be heated separately. In 2005, it was recognized as the "World's First Air Conditioned Building" with a special plaque.

• Heating and ventilation system
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  A handle from the original ventilation system.

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  Part of the original central heating system.

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  One of the old Victorian boilers in the basement.

The Crown Court

Until 1984, the Liverpool courts, known as Assizes (later the Crown Court), were held in the courtroom at the south end of St George's Hall. Today, this courtroom is often used for filming movies and TV shows, sometimes pretending to be the famous Old Bailey court in London.

• The Crown Court
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  A general view of the Crown Court.

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  A view of the Crown Court from where the judge would sit.

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  The judge's chamber for the Crown Court.

Events and Gatherings

Christmas entertainment in Great Hall 1864

St George's Hall has hosted many important events throughout its history. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited the hall in 1851, even before it was fully finished inside. The official opening in 1854 was a three-day music festival.

In 1869, a special dinner was held in the Great Hall for Charles Dickens before he sailed to America. The hall has also been a place for public rallies and gatherings. For example, during the 1911 Liverpool transport strike, many meetings were held here.

During World War I, Lord Kitchener inspected 12,000 soldiers of the Liverpool Pals on St George's Plateau in 1915. The plateau has also seen emotional homecomings for Liverpool and Everton football teams after winning cup finals.

In 2008, the celebrations for Liverpool being the European Capital of Culture began at St George's Hall. Ringo Starr, the famous Beatles drummer, even played on the building's roof for over 50,000 people! In 2015, the "Weeping Window" sculpture, made of ceramic poppies, was displayed here as a tribute to World War I. The hall also hosted the semi-final draw for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in January 2023.

The Grand Organ

Organ, designed by Henry Willis, built 1851–55, enlarged 1931. The small statue on top is Music with her lyre.

The magnificent organ in St George's Hall was built by Henry Willis and completed in 1855. It was one of the largest organs in the country at the time, with 100 different sounds (called stops) and 7,737 pipes! It was later rebuilt and enlarged in 1931.

Albert Lister Peace

Herbert F. Ellingford 1913

The organ has been maintained and repaired over the years. In 1940, it was damaged during an air-raid but was later rebuilt in the 1950s. Today, it is still a grand instrument, played by talented organists. Professor Ian Tracey is the current organist.

St George's Plateau

St George's Hall from St John's Beacon

This is the open area in front of St George's Hall, between the building and the railway station. It features statues of four lions and decorative lampposts. You can also find impressive bronze statues of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria on horseback.

Liverpool Cenotaph

A very important monument on the plateau is the Liverpool Cenotaph, a war memorial unveiled in 1930. It's a simple, powerful block with bronze carvings on each side, honoring those who lost their lives in wars. In 2017, plans were announced to expand the plateau as part of a city center redesign.

Filming Location

St George's Hall is so impressive that it's often used as a backdrop for films and TV shows. Its exterior has appeared in popular series like Peaky Blinders and The War of the Worlds. It was also featured in the 1993 film In the Name of the Father and the 2022 movie The Batman. Even a Coca-Cola advertisement was filmed inside the building in 1987.

In January 2009, the paranormal investigation show "Most Haunted Live" used the hall as its main base for a week-long live event called "Search for Evil."

Quotes About St George's Hall

Many people have admired St George's Hall. In 1854, The Illustrated London News called it "a magnificent edifice" and a "perennial monument" to the people of Liverpool.

Architectural historian Charles Herbert Reilly said that the combination of its grand interior and even grander exterior is an achievement that even ancient Rome couldn't match.

See also

In Spanish: St George's Hall para niños