Hull City Hall

Hull City Hall is a civic building located in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

The City Hall does not perform an administrative function for Hull's council, as this is based in the Guildhall.

It is a Grade II* listed building, built in Baroque Revival style by Hull's City architect Joseph Hirst 1903–09, restored c.1950 following war damage, and altered in 1986 and 1989.

Located in Queen Victoria Square in the city centre, Hull City Hall is home to a grand central hall which plays host to a varied programme of concerts including pop, rock and classical music as well as civic functions such as graduation ceremonies for the University of Hull. The city's main Tourist Information office and shop is based on the building's ground floor.

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Coordinates: 53°44′38″N 0°20′25″W / 53.743750°N 0.340146°W / 53.743750; -0.340146

Kingston upon Hull

Kingston upon Hull (ⁱ/ˌkɪŋstən əpɒn ˈhʌl/ KING-stən ə-pon HUL, local /ˈhʊl/), usually abbreviated to Hull, is a city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles (40 km) inland from the North Sea, with a population of 257,710 (mid-2014 est.).

The town of Hull was founded late in the 12th century. The monks of Meaux Abbey needed a port where the wool from their estates could be exported. They chose a place at the junction of the rivers Hull and Humber to build a quay.

The exact year the town was founded is not known but it was first mentioned in 1193. Renamed Kings-town upon Hull by King Edward I in 1299, Hull has been a market town, military supply port, trading hub, fishing and whaling centre, and industrial metropolis.

Hull was an early theatre of battle in the English Civil Wars. Its 18th-century Member of Parliament, William Wilberforce, played a key role in the abolition of the slave trade in Britain.

Seat of local government

In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre, (in the UK or Australia) a guildhall, a Rathaus (German), or (more rarely) a municipal building, is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city or town council, its associated departments, and their employees. It also usually functions as the base of the mayor of a city, town, borough, or county / shire.

By convention, until the mid 19th-century, a single large open chamber (or 'hall') formed an integral part of the building housing the council. The hall may be used for council meetings and other significant events. This large chamber, the 'town hall', (and its later variant 'city hall') has become synonymous with the whole building, and with the administrative body housed in it. The terms 'council chambers', 'municipal building' or variants may be used locally in preference to 'town hall' if no such large hall is present within the building.

The local government may endeavor to use the town hall building to promote and enhance the quality of life of the community. In many cases, "'town halls' serve not only as buildings for government functions, but also have facilities for various civic and cultural activities. These may include art shows, stage performances, exhibits and festivals. Modern town halls or "civic centres" are often designed with a great variety and flexibility of purpose in mind.

Bradford City Hall

Bradford City Hall is a Grade I listed, 19th century town hall in Centenary Square, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It is notable for its landmark bell/clock tower.

History

As town hall

The building was designed by Lockwood and Mawson, and opened in 1873.

Winston Churchill gave his first speech after the Second Battle of El Alamein outside the hall in which he called for the people to 'go forward together and put these grave matters to the proof'.

Before its relocation, between 1847 to 1872, the town hall had been the Fire Station House in Swain Street. In 1869, a new triangular site was purchased, and a competition held for a design to rival the town halls of Leeds and Halifax. The local firm of Lockwood and Mawson was chosen over the other 31 entries. It was built by John Ives & Son of Shipley and took three years to build at a cost of £100,000. It was opened on 9 September 1873, on a very wet day by Matthew Thompson, the mayor.

It was first extended in 1909 to a design by Norman Shaw and executed by architect F.E.P. Edwards, with another council chamber, more committee rooms and a banqueting hall. It was extended again in 1914 with a new entrance and staircase in baroque marble by William Williamson and listed grade I on 14 June 1963.

City Hall (disambiguation)

City Hall is the headquarters of a city or town's administration.

City Hall may also refer to:

Locations