Belfast City Hall
Belfast City Hall | |
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Baroque Revival | |
Classification | |
Listed Building – Grade A | |
Designated | 27 November 1975 |
Reference no. | HB 26/50/001 |
Location | Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas |
Quantity surveyor | WH Stephens |
Main contractor | H&J Martin |
Belfast City Hall (
History
Belfast City Hall was commissioned to replace the Old Town Hall in Victoria Street.[3] The catalyst for change came in 1888 when Belfast was awarded city status by Queen Victoria. This was in recognition of Belfast's rapid expansion and thriving linen, rope-making, shipbuilding and engineering industries. During this period Belfast briefly overtook Dublin as the most populous city in Ireland.[4]
It was in this context that in the late 19th century the new city leaders formed the view that the Victoria Street building was not imposing enough and decided to commission a new building: the site they selected was once the home of the White Linen Hall, an important international Linen Exchange. The street that runs from the back door of Belfast City Hall through the middle of Linen Quarter is Linen Hall Street.[5]
Belfast Corporation used their profits from the gas industry to pay for the construction of the Belfast City Hall.
The city hall in Durban, South Africa is almost an exact replica of Belfast's City Hall.[10] It was built in 1910 and designed by Stanley G. Hudson, who was inspired by the Belfast design. The Port of Liverpool Building, designed by Sir Arnold Thornely and completed in 1913, is another very close relative.[11]
On 1 August 2006 the City Hall celebrated its centenary with a "Century of Memories" exhibition and family picnic day.
Exterior
The hall features towers at each of the four corners, with a
Interior
The interior has a number of notable features including the Porte-Cochère and Grand Entrance, the Grand Staircase, the Reception Room and the Banqueting Hall. The roof above the Banqueting Hall was destroyed during the
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City Hall Dome
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First floor Rotunda
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Sculpture of the Earl of Belfast
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Central staircase
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Main entrance
Parts of Belfast City Hall are open to the public, with a permanent exhibition opening in 2017.[19] Visitors can also book free guided tours of the City Hall with access to areas usually closed to the public.[20]
Grounds and public memorials
The memorial to
The grounds also house Northern Ireland's main war memorial, the Garden of Remembrance and
A 6-foot-high (1.8 m) memorial to Leading Seaman James Magennis VC, made from Portland stone and bronze, was erected in the grounds in October 1999.[26]
On 3 January 2006 Belfast City Councillors ratified a plan to erect a statue to the late Belfast
In October 2007 a 60-metre Ferris wheel was constructed in the grounds, giving passengers panoramic views 200 ft (61 m) above the city. The wheel had 42 air-conditioned capsules, which could hold up to six adults and two children. The wheel finally closed at 6:00 pm on 11 April 2010 and was removed during May 2010.[28]
In 2008, the Imjin River Memorial was relocated here when the St Patrick's Barracks in Ballymena closed. The memorial commemorates Irish[29] troops lost in the Battle of Chaegunghyon in January 1951 during the Korean War.[30]
On 8 March 2024, bronze statues of the anti-slavery campaigner, Mary Ann McCracken, and the trade unionist, Winifred Carney, were unveiled at a ceremony at Belfast City Hall to coincide with International Women's Day 2024.[31] Mary Ann McCracken campaigned against slavery at Belfast docks until she was almost 90 years-old[32] and Winifred Carney was a suffragist, committed trade unionist and political activist.[33]
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Under construction
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Belfast's -TitanicMemorial
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Front of the building
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Monument to Queen Victoria
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Lord Dufferin monument
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Statue of Edward James Harland, founder ofHarland and Wolff
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Memorial to James Magennis VC (2004)
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View showing Belfast City Hall with the Belfast Wheel to the side, Late March 2010
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Statue of James Horner Haslett, Mayor of Belfast (1887–88)
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Statue ofSir Daniel Dixon, first Lord Mayor of Belfast (1892–93, 1901-04 & 1905-07)
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Statue ofWilliam James Pirrie, Lord Mayor of Belfast (1896–98)
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Statue ofRobert James McMordie, Lord Mayor of Belfast (1910–14)
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Garden of Remembrance andThe Cenotaph in Belfast
See also
References
- ^ Brett, C.E.B. Buildings of Belfast 1700–1914. Page 67. Friar's Bush Press, Belfast, 1985.
- ^ "Belfast City Hall (HB 26/50/001)". Department for Communities. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Old Town Hall, Belfast". Victorian Webb. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "The Victorian Web". National University of Singapore. 12 September 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ The Linen Hall Library, one of Belfast's oldest cultural institutions, that occupies a site in Donegal Square North in front of today's City Hall, started life within the walls of the White Linen Hall.
- ^ "Belast Gasworks". Culture Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "History of Belfast City Hall". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ "History of Belfast City Hall". Alastair MacNab. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940: GAMBLE, JAMES GARDNER". Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ "About Belfast". BBC Schools. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ Brett, C. E. B. Buildings of Belfast 1700–1914. Belfast: Friar's Bush Press, 1985; p. 65.
- ^ "City hall hosts centenary party". BBC News. 1 August 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Violence in Belfast after council votes to change Union flag policy" BBC News 3 December 2012 Retrieved 5 December 2012
- ISBN 978-0241311813.
- ^ "Northern Ireland". Ron Wise's Banknoteworld. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
- ^ "Belfast Blitz: Recalling the fear, death and horror of nights Nazi warplanes bombed city". Belfast Telegraph. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Stained glass windows". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "36th (Ulster) Division". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Belfast City Hall Visitor Exhibition". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Belfast City Hall Guided Tours". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Edward James Harland, Statue". Titanic Memorials. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Sculpture by Sir Thomas Brock". Victoria Web. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-4411-6169-7.
- ^ "Belfast War Memorial". Irish War Memorials. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "American Expeditionary Force Memorial". Waymarking. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "James Joseph Magennis VC". Victoria Cross. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Healy's Best statue grand gesture". BBC News. 30 January 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ Belfast City Council Archived 17 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Royal Ulster Rifles Korean Memorial". Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ "War Memorials Trust". Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ "Mary Ann McCracken and Winifred Carney statues unveiled". BBC News. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ "McCracken, Mary Ann". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ Quinn, James (2009). "Carney, Winifred ('Winnie') | Dictionary of Irish Biography". www.dib.ie. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
External links
- Belfast City Hall
- Media related to Belfast City Hall at Wikimedia Commons