| Sheffield Town Hall | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sheffield Town Hall & Peace Gardens | |
 Interactive map of Sheffield Town Hall | |
| Record height | |
| Tallest in Sheffield from 1896 to 1965[I] | |
| Preceded by | Cathedral Church of St Marie andSt John's Church |
| Surpassed by | Arts Tower |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Government |
| Classification | |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Designated | 28 June 1973 |
| Reference no. | 1246902 |
| Location | Sheffield,South Yorkshire, England |
| Coordinates | 53°22′49″N1°28′10″W / 53.3803398°N 1.4694321°W /53.3803398; -1.4694321 |
| Completed | 1897 |
| Opening | 1897 |
| Owner | Sheffield City Council |
| Height | |
| Roof | 61 m (200 ft) |
| Top floor | 61 m (200 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 6 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Edward William Mountford |
Sheffield Town Hall is a municipal building on Pinstone Street in theCity of Sheffield,England. The building is used bySheffield City Council, and also contains a publicly displayed collection ofsilverware. It is a Grade Ilisted building.[1]
The current building, commissioned to replace theOld Town Hall, was designed by theLondon-basedarchitectEdward William Mountford in theRenaissance Revival style and constructed between 1890 and 1897.[1] The building was opened byQueen Victoria, using aremote control lock from her carriage, on 21 May 1897.[2] The turning of the key in the lock triggered a light in the building which was the signal for three concealed men to open the gates.[2]
An extension designed by F. E. P. Edwards was opened by thePrince of Wales on 29 May 1923.[2]
Thegardens were first laid out in 1938, following the demolition ofSt Paul's Church. Originally named St Paul's Gardens, they were immediately nicknamed the "Peace Gardens", marking the contemporary signing of theMunich Agreement.[3]
An extension designed in theBrutalist style was added to the east of the Peace Gardens in 1977; nicknamedThe Egg-Box after its appearance, it was demolished in 2002.[4]
The design of the exterior echoed to a certain extent the architecture of the adjacent St. Paul's Church of 1720 (now demolished).[5] During construction, the building was criticised for its expensive embellishments. The exterior is built of Stoke stone from the Stoke Hall Quarry inGrindleford,Derbyshire and is decorated with carvings byF. W. Pomeroy.[1] Thefriezes depict the industries of Sheffield, and the 64-metre-high clock-tower is surmounted by a statue ofVulcan. The clock, byPotts of Leeds, was provided with striking and chimingtrains,[6] but bells were never installed in the clock-tower so they remained unused. In 2002 an electronic bell sound system was added to provide hourly strikes and Westminster-style quarter chimes.[7]
The entry contains displays relating toHMSSheffield[8] and leads to the Main Entrance Hall with a grand marble staircase. This also has an Electrolier an electricchandelier, part of the original lighting of the building.[9] The walls include friezes including a depiction of the slaying of theDragon of Wharncliffe.[10] On the first landing is a statue of the first Lord MayorHenry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk.[11]
The first floor has a gallery running its length which can be divided into four sections by means of powered oak panels descending from the ceiling. The south room is the Lord Mayor's Parlour which is kept permanently divided.[2] On the same floor is the oak-panelled Council Room and its antechamber, which has above its door the advice "Be Ye wise as serpents and harmless as doves", a quotation from the Bible (Matthew 10:16).[12]
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cathedral Church of St Marie 59 m (195 ft) | Tallest building in Sheffield 1896 – 1965 | Succeeded by Arts Tower 78 m (256 ft) |