3400 x 2267 px | 28,8 x 19,2 cm | 11,3 x 7,6 inches | 300dpi
Date de la prise de vue:
16 décembre 2014
Lieu:
Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK
Informations supplémentaires:
In 1847 Queen Victoria signed a Charter of Incorporation uniting the Townships of Bradford, Manningham, Bowling and Horton as a Borough, with permission to elect a mayor, 14 aldermen and 42 councillors. There was no accommodation for the Council and the first town hall was sited in the Fire Station House in Swain Street. This remained the Town Hall for twenty-six years. It soon became obvious that a purpose-built civic building was necessary and in 1869 the present site was purchased. A competition to design the new town hall was held and thirty-two entries were received. The winning design was submitted by Lockwood and Mawson, a Bradford firm of architects. The builder was John Ives & Son of Shipley, who constructed the Town Hall at a cost of £100, 000. The Town Hall took three years to build and was opened on 9 September 1873 by the Mayor, Alderman Matthew Thompson. This original building was 70 feet high and 275 feet long, with a 217 foot tower. By the end of the 19th Century, the Town Hall did not have adequate space, and a decision was taken to extend it. Two schemes followed. The first, opened in September 1909, provided a new council chamber, committee rooms and a banqueting hall. The second scheme, completed in 1914, included a redesigned entrance and grand staircase. The Town Hall became City Hall in November 1965, the change of name considered more in keeping with Bradford's status and importance. At the same time the building received a £12, 000 facelift. City Hall's most notable feature is the magnificent clock tower that soars 220 feet above the skyline. The City Hall clock tower is Italianate, inspired by the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. It has thirteen bells which were installed at a cost of £5, 000. The total weight of the bells is 17 tons. 1997 heralds a new era for the bells; since 1992 the City Hall Bells have lain silent due to severe decay in the bell frame.
