| Belfast City Hall | |
|---|---|
 The Belfast City Hall in August 2017 | |
 Interactive map of the Belfast City Hall area | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Baroque Revival |
| Classification | |
Listed Building – Grade A | |
| Designated | 27 November 1975 |
| Reference no. | HB 26/50/001 |
| Location | Donegall Square,Belfast,Northern Ireland |
| Coordinates | 54°35′47″N5°55′48″W / 54.59639°N 5.93000°W /54.59639; -5.93000 |
| Current tenants | Belfast City Council |
| Construction started | 1898 |
| Completed | 1906 |
| Renovated | 2009 |
| Cost | Approx £360,000[1] |
| Client | Belfast Corporation |
| Height | Roof – 174 feet (53 m) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas |
| Quantity surveyor | WH Stephens |
| Main contractor | H&J Martin |
Belfast City Hall is the civic building ofBelfast City Council located inDonegall Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It faces North and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of thecity centre. It is a Grade Alisted building.[2]
Belfast City Hall was commissioned to replace theOld Town Hall in Victoria Street.[3] The catalyst for change came in 1888 when Belfast was awardedcity status byQueen Victoria. This was in recognition of Belfast's rapid expansion and thrivinglinen,rope-making,shipbuilding and engineering industries. During this period Belfast briefly overtookDublin as the most populous city inIreland.[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 ofLinen 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.[6] The building, which was designed bySir Alfred Brumwell Thomas in theBaroque Revival style, was built inPortland stone at a cost of £369,000 and opened on 1 August 1906.[7] Local firms H&J Martin and WH Stephens were among the companies involved in the design and construction.[8] James G. Gamble, principal city architect with Belfast Corporation, was clerk of works for the erection of the City Hallc. 1896–1906.[9]
In 1921 it was the provisional seat of theParliament of Northern Ireland and on 22 June 1921King George V made here the first state opening.[10]
Thecity hall in Durban, South Africa is almost an exact replica of Belfast's City Hall.[11] It was built in 1910 and designed by Stanley G. Hudson, who was inspired by the Belfast design. ThePort of Liverpool Building, designed bySir Arnold Thornely and completed in 1913, is another very close relative.[12]
On 1 August 2006 the City Hall celebrated its centenary with a "Century of Memories" exhibition and family picnic day.[13] On 3 December 2012, the City Council voted to limit the days that theUnion Flag flies from City Hall to no more than 18 designated days. Since 1906, the flag had been flown every day of the year. The move was backed by the council'sIrish nationalist Councillors and by itsAlliance Party Councillors. It was opposed by theunionist Councillors, who had enjoyed a majority on the council until theNorthern Ireland local elections of 2011. On the night of the vote, unionist andloyalist protesters tried to storm the City Hall. They heldprotests throughout Northern Ireland, some of which became violent.[14]
The hall features towers at each of the four corners, with alantern-crowned 173 ft (53 m) green copperdome in the centre.[15] Thepediment sculpture is byF. W. Pomeroy, assisted by local carver J. Edgar Winter, and features on the reverse side of the current series of £10, £20, £50 and £100sterling banknotes issued by theNorthern Bank.[16]
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 theBelfast blitz on the night of 4/5 May 1941 and had to be rebuilt.[17]
Carrara,Pavonazzo and Bresciamarbles are used extensively throughout the building as arestained glass windows featuring among others the Belfastcoat of arms, portraits of Queen Victoria andWilliam III and shields of theprovinces of Ireland.[18] There is also a stained glass window commemorating the36th (Ulster) Division.[19]
Parts of Belfast City Hall are open to the public, with a permanent exhibition opening in 2017.[20] Visitors can also book guided tours of the City Hall with access to areas usually closed to the public.[21]
The memorial toSir Edward Harland, the former head of theHarland & Wolff shipyard and Lord Mayor of Belfast, was sculpted bySir Thomas Brock and unveiled by theEarl of Glasgow on 23 June 1903.[22] The statue ofQueen Victoria also by Brock was unveiled by KingEdward VII on 27 July 1903.[23] TheTitanic Memorial in Belfast was dedicated in June 1920.[24]
The grounds also house Northern Ireland's main war memorial, the Garden of Remembrance andCenotaph, unveiled in 1929.[25] There is also a granite column dedicated to theAmerican Expeditionary Force, many of whom were based in Belfast prior toD-Day, unveiled in 1943.[26]
A 6-foot-high (1.8 m) memorial to Leading SeamanJames MagennisVC, made from Portland stone and bronze, was erected in the grounds in October 1999.[27]
On 3 January 2006 Belfast City Councillors ratified a plan to erect a statue to the late Belfast footballerGeorge Best in the grounds of the City Hall. Following approval from the Best family, theGeorge Best Memorial Trust was created in December 2006. The trust's patronDavid Healy contributed £1,000 to the estimated total cost of £200,000.[28]
In October 2007 a 60-metre (200 ft)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.[29]
In 2008, theImjin River Memorial was relocated here when theSt Patrick's Barracks inBallymena closed. The memorial commemorates Irish[30] troops lost in theBattle of Chaegunghyon in January 1951 during theKorean War.[31]
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 withInternational Women's Day 2024.[32]Mary Ann McCracken campaigned against slavery at Belfast docks until she was almost 90 years-old[33] and Winifred Carney was a suffragist, committed trade unionist and political activist.[34]
Media related toBelfast City Hall at Wikimedia Commons| Preceded by none | Home of the Parliament of Northern Ireland 1921 | Succeeded by |
54°35′47″N5°55′48″W / 54.596484°N 5.930053°W /54.596484; -5.930053
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