Birmingham City Council HouseinBirmingham,England, is the home ofBirmingham City Council,and thus theseat of local governmentfor the city. It providesofficeaccommodation for both employed council officers, including theChief Executive,andelected council members,plus the council chamber,Lord Mayor's Suite, committee rooms and a large and ornate banqueting suite, complete withminstrel's gallery.The first-floor's exteriorbalconyis used by visiting dignitaries and victorious sports teams, to address crowds assembled below. The Council House, which has its own postcode,B1 1BB,is located inVictoria Squarein the city centre and is a Grade II*listed building.[1]
| Birmingham Council House | |
|---|---|
 Birmingham Council House, from Victoria Square | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Municipal headquarters |
| Architectural style | Classical |
| Classification | |
Listed Building– Grade II* | |
| Designated | 25 April 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1210333 |
| Location | Victoria Square,Birmingham,England |
| Coordinates | 52°28′48″N1°54′10″W/ 52.48000°N 1.90278°W |
| Construction started | 17 June 1874 |
| Completed | 30 October 1879 |
| Height | 29m (Top of Dome) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Yeoville Thomason |
The side of the building that facesChamberlain Squareis the entrance and façade of theMuseum and Art Gallery,which is partly housed within the same building.
History
editIn 1852, Birmingham Town Council had inherited the oldPublic Officeon Moor Street, from their predecessors theStreet Commissioners,which the council used as their meeting place. It soon became apparent that this building dating from 1807 was not adequate for the needs of the growing town (which became a city in 1889) and that larger premises would be needed.[2]
Planning
editThe land on which the Council House and adjacent Museum and Art Gallery are located was purchased in 1853. This land consisted of Ann Street which was home to properties such as the "Cabinet of Curiosities",a clothes shop advertised as" An exhibition for the curious observer of natural phenomena ". The building had aclock towertopped with aflagpole.The top wascastellatedand the walls were whitewashed and adorned in advertisements and messages. The last tenants of the building were the Suffield family, ancestors ofJ. R. R. Tolkien.[3]
The land was earmarked for development, however constant financial difficulties put all development on hold until 1871 when the council finally agreed to build offices on the site. A design competition was established and the council received 29 entries, which was disappointing in comparison to the 179 entriesSheffieldandBirminghamreceived. However a decision was delayed by further financial difficulties. The council was then split over the Gothic entry byMartin & Chamberlainand the classical entry byYeoville Thomason.[3]
Construction and extensions
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Thomason's design was chosen; his design featured a central section with a hugehexastyleCorinthian orderporte-cocherecarrying abalconywith an arch andtympanumhigh above, flanked by piers and columns which in turn carried a large carvedpediment.[1]However, amendments to the art gallery entrance and clock tower were made. The clock and tower are known locally as "Big Brum".[4]Construction commenced on the building in 1874 when the first stone was laid by the then mayorJoseph Chamberlain.The building was completed in 1879 and cost £163,000 (equivalent to £20,930,000 in 2023).[5]A debate was held to decide the name of the building: the options were the Municipal Hall, Council House and Guildhall.[3]
The Council House was extended almost immediately, in 1881–85. The architect was again Yeoville Thomason. This was a combined art gallery, museum, and the home of the corporation's Gas Department, whose budget subsidised the building, as legislation limited the expenditure of ratepayers' taxes on the arts.[6]
Above the main entrance, which faces Victoria Square, the tympanum contains amosaicbySalviati Burke and Co.ofVenice.[7]Above that, the pediment showsBritanniareceiving the manufacturers of Birmingham.[8]Victoria Square itself was once occupied byChrist Church,a building which was demolished in 1899.[9]
On 9 August 1902, the Council House, along with the Town Hall, was illuminated in celebration of the coronation ofKing Edward VIIandQueen Alexandra.[10]
The Council House was extended a second time in 1911–19 (by architects Ashley & Newman) with a new block to the north and connected to the original building by an intricately designed archway (internally a corridor). The archway or bridge slightly resemblesThe Bridge of SighsinVenice.The extension contains the Feeney Art Galleries.[6]
Architectural details
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Balcony on the Council House -
Details on the Council House -
The link bridge between the original Art Gallery and the Art Gallery Extension of 1911–19.
Memorials
editMany memorials are housed within the Council House. Most are not available for viewing by the public except upon request. Memorials within the Council House are:[11]
- To the citizens of Birmingham from the Belgian exiles duringWorld War I.
- To the staff of theBoard of Guardianswho served and died in World War I.
- To Captain Ronald Wilkinson who died trying to defuse anIRAbomb inEdgbastonon 17 September 1973.
- To the staff of the City Treasurers who served in World War I and to the City Treasurers who served inWorld War II.
- To the staff of the Electric Supply Department who died during World War I.
- To the staff of the Public Works & Town Planning Department Memorial who died in both world wars.
- To the staff of the Veterinary Department who died during World War I.
- ToJohn Skirrow Wright,who died in the building.
- ABlue Plaquecommemorating the five consecutive generations of theMartineau familywho served as (Lord) Mayors
Use in films
editThe foyer featured in theCliff RichardfilmTake Me High,made to appear as a hotel lobby.[12]The glass corridor, banqueting suite and other parts also doubled as a hotel inStephen Poliakoff'sDancing on the Edge.[13]
References
edit- ^abHistoric England."Details from listed building database (1210333)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved19 May2006.
- ^"A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7, the City of Birmingham Political and Administrative History: Local Government and Public Services".British History Online.Retrieved14 February2022.
- ^abc"A look back at the history of Birmingham Council House".Birmingham Mail. 7 May 2015.Retrieved4 April2020.
- ^"Discovery Day and Sportsfest".BBC Birmingham.Retrieved31 May2008.
- ^UKRetail Price Indexinflation figures are based on data fromClark, Gregory (2017)."The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)".MeasuringWorth.Retrieved7 May2024.
- ^abCannon-Brookes, P. (1 December 1993). "The rebirth of the Gas Hall, Birmingham".Museum Management and Curatorship.12(4): 409–411.doi:10.1016/0964-7775(93)90040-P.
- ^Public Sculpture of Birmingham: Including Sutton Coldfield,George Thomas Noszlopy, 1998, Liverpool University Press (ISBN0853236925)
- ^"Pediments and Mosaic at the Council House".Vanderkrogt.Retrieved4 April2020.
- ^Dent, Robert Kirkup (1894).The Making of Birmingham: Being a History of the Rise and Growth of the Midland Metropolis.David. p. 278+.Retrieved31 December2013.
- ^Reekes, Andrew Edward (1 March 2014)."Birmingham Exceptionalism: Joseph Chamberlain and the 1906 General Election"(PDF).University of Birmingham.Retrieved4 April2020.
- ^"List of war memorials in Birmingham".Birmingham City Council.Retrieved4 April2020.
- ^"Incredible then and now pictures from 'forgotten' Cliff Richard movie - filmed on location Birmingham".Birmingham Mail. 22 April 2019.Retrieved4 April2020.
- ^"Birmingham bids to become film and TV destination".BBC. 25 January 2012.Retrieved4 April2020.
Further reading
edit- Davies, Stuart (1985),By the Gains of Industry - Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery 1885-1985,Birmingham City Council,ISBN0-7093-0131-6
- Holyoak, Joe (1989),All About Victoria Square,The Victorian Society Birmingham Group,ISBN0-901657-14-X