Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/50/001 A

Address :
Belfast City Hall Donegall Square Belfast County Antrim BT1 5GS

Townland:
Town parks

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Survey 2:
A

Date of Listing:
27/11/1975 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Town Hall

Former Use
Town Hall

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
130/13 SE

IG Ref:
J3383 7404

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Symmetrical multi-bay two and three-storey over basement Portland stone Baroque Revival City Hall, completed in 1906, to the designs of Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas replacing the White Linen Hall built c.1785. Quadrangular on plan with a pedimented principal north wing surmounted by a colonaded drum and copper dome, advanced corner pavilion blocks surmounted by cupolas and a pedimented secondary south wing with carriage arches opening into a central paved courtyard. Located to the centre of Donegall Square with landscaped ground to the north, east and west enclosed by iron railings. Hipped natural slate roofs with roll-moulded lead ridges and decorative profiled Portland stone ashlar chimneystacks having glazed clay pots. Roof set behind balustraded parapet interrupted by panelled piers over a modillioned cornice with egg-and-dart and dentil mouldings. Lead-lined blocking course to the internal elevations with decorative iron box hoppers (raised digits ‘1904’) and square-profile iron downpipes with iron brackets breaking through. Portland limestone ashlar walling throughout, channel-rusticated to the ground floor with moulded plinth course and continuous sill courses to ground and first floors. Generally square-headed window openings with multi-pane timber sash windows (unless otherwise stated). To the centre of the north wing is an Ionic colonaded drum and copper dome rising from a three-storey superstructure abutting the south elevation. The ribbed copper dome is surmounted by a decorative stone lantern with scrolled brackets rising from a circular balustrade and supporting diminutive obelisks. The dome rises from a two-tier drum with a series of square-headed window openings to the upper tier interrupted at the four corners by an advanced pedimented bay and encircled by a further balustrade. The lower tier comprises a peristyle arrangement of Ionic columns supporting an entablature also interrupted at the four corners by an advanced projection of paired Ionic columns on large pedestals rising from stepped squinch arches. Set behind the colonade is a series of square-headed window openings surmounted by lunette windows, all having architrave surrounds. The dome is supported by a three-storey superstructure on a square plan abutted by a two-storey stairhall projection, partially obscuring an arched recess with a stained glass thermal window. Each elevation is framed by advanced single-bay three-storey corner pavilion blocks surmounted by Ionic colonaded cupolas surmounted by copper domes. The upper floors to the pavilions are framed by engaged Giant Ionic order columns and clasping corner piers rising from channel-rusticated ground floor and supporting full entablature. A notional attic-storey is lit by a window set within a pedimented surround flanked by pedestals supporting urns. Peristyle Ionic tempietto with advanced pairs of columns to the corners supporting full entabllature, paired urns and a drum, in turn supporting an ogee copper dome and urn finial. Symmetrical north front elevation is fifteen windows wide and two storeys high with the pedimented breakfront abutted by a colonaded and domed port-cochere. Double-height first floor having round-headed window openings with balustraded bowed balconies and framed by banded Ionic pilasters supporting moulded archivolt and cartouche keystones. Steel-framed windows with leaded coloured glazing. All window openings to the upper floors flanked by Giant Ionic order partially engaged Ionic columns. Paired square-headed window openings to the ground floor with stepped keystones. Central breakfront surmounted by a large modillioned pediment with statuary to the tympanum to the designs of Frederick Pomeroy depicting Hibernia holding a torch to the centre with Minerva, Industry, Labour, Liberty and other commerce related figures yielding industrial related tools. The pediment is supported on paired Giant Ionic order columns with responding pilasters flanking the three window openings rising from the advanced ground floor. The port-cochere comprises a series of Ionic columns on a plinth course supporting a pulvinated frieze and modillioned entablature. The front elevation has a parapet wall fronting a copper dome while the east and west comprises a pair of arched openings with broken-based segmental pediments. Within the port-cochere is a flight of white marble steps enclosed by a stone balustrade wall and bronze handrail rising to a marble platform with a pair of granite-paved dog-leg universal access ramps to either side. The segmental-headed principal entrance has a decorative cast-iron screen and gates fronting a recessed round-headed door opening with glazed entrance and an eleaborate foliate cartouche over lit by a glazed half-dome. Symmetrical east side wing is fifteen windows wide with the central nine windows forming a breakfront. The breakfront has a further pair of pedimented breakfronts to either end and abutted by a central tempietto entrance portico. The central seven windows have double-height windows with the remainder of the elevation having three floors. The first floor windows are framed by foliate enriched panels with the remaining detail as per front north elevation and flanked by Giant Ionic order pilasters. The single-bay breakfronts are surmounted by modillioned pediments with decorative oeil-de-boeufs and supported by paired Giant Ionic order columns with responding pilasters rising from an advanced ground floor. The remaining window openings have blocked architrave surrounds, pedimented to the first floor with 6/6 timber sash windows. The portico comprises a series of Ionic columns rising from circular stone steps and supporting a full entablature with angel heads to the frieze and surmounted by a vaulted stone dome and an elaborate foliate stone finial. The portico has a round-headed door opening with lugged architrave surround, cartouche keystone and decorative cast-iron gates. Symmetrical three-storey street-fronted south wing is twenty-five windows wide with a central pedimented breakfront and partially exposed basement. The central breakfront is five windows wide surmounted by a full modillioned pediment having an oeil-de-boeuf and flamboyant foliate surround. The pediment is supported on Giant Ionic order columns, paired to either end with responding Ionic pilasters flanking the window openings and rising from an advanced ground floor. Two voussoired carriage-arch openings to the ground floor with cartouche keystones and decorative cast-iron gates flanked by a pair of voussoired pedestrian arched openings and a central voussoired window opening. Square-headed window openings throughout, blocked to the upper floors with architrave surrounds and pediments to the first floor only. All window openings to the upper floors are flanked by Giant Ionic order pilasters. Segmental-headed window openings to the basement with architrave and stepped keystones rising from the plinth course and having cast-iron grilles. Symmetrical three-storey west wing is nineteen windows wide with a central pedimented breakfront. The breakfront is three windows wide with all detailing as per south wing. Internal courtyard is laid out on a rectangular plan with bitmac finish and a central circular fountain constructed of polished granite. The courtyard elevations have Portland limestone ashlar walling with a dentilled cornice below parapet, cornice over ground floor and continuous sill course to the ground floor. Three-storey rear (south) elevation to the north wing is approximately twenty windows wide and abutted by the square-plan superstructure supporting the drum and dome (as per description above). The superstructure is abutted by a two-storey stairhall projection, three windows wide having a hipped natural slate roof set behind parapet wall. Three Venetian window openings to the upper level have Ionic mullions rising from a continuous sill course with plain apron panels and steel windows with leaded coloured glazing. The cheeks to the projection have two Venetian windows. To the ground floor is an arcaded portico in antis with compound moulded round-headed arches having stepped keystones and springing from rusticated piers and engaged blocked Ionic columns. Within the portico is a central pedimented window with leaded coloured glazing flanked by a pair of segmental-pedimented door openings flanked by quarter-engaged Ionic blocked Ionic pilasters with double-leaf hardwood doors having multi-pane glazing. Replacement stone paving to the portico with groin-vaulted stone soffit. The remainder of the rear elevation has segmental-headed window openings to the first and second floors, square-headed to the ground floor. All window openings have architrave surrounds with keystones, lugged to the upper floors and blocked to the ground floor. 6/6 timber sash windows to the upper floors and 9/9 to the ground floor. Three-storey rear (west) elevation to the east wing is approximately thirteen windows wide and abutted by a two-storey over basement stairhall projection having a lead-lined saucer dome set behind parapet. To the upper floor is a central Venetian window with architrave and cartouche keystone supported on engaged Ionc columns and pilasters rising from a continuous sill. Round-headed window openings to either side and to the cheek elevations have segmental pediments with cartouche keystones supported on Ionic pilasters, all having steel windows with leaded coloured glazing. To the ground floor is a central thermal window flanked by pairs of occuli. Both cheeks to the projection have a further single-storey flat-roofed projection with two thermal windows. All remaining window openings as per north wing. Round-headed door opening to the southeast corner having a Gibbsian type surround flanked by engaged blocked Ionic columns supporting a dentilled pediment with thermal window over and housing double-leaf hardwood doors. Symmetrical three-storey rear (north) elevation to the south wing is approximately eleven windows wide and abutted by a pair of full-height projections flanking the central pair of carriage arches. Windows detailed as per remaining courtyard elevations. The carriage arches and pedestrian arches have stone vaulted soffits rising from piers and engaged blocked Ionic columns with semi-circular arches having elaborately carved foliate panels over. Square-headed door openings have lugged architrave surrounds with double-leaf timber doors having glazed panels and surmounted by an oculus with decorative surround. Three-storey rear (east) elevation to west wing is ten windows wide abutted by a central full-height projection and a further stairhall projection to the southwest corner. Window and door detailing as per remaining courtyard elevations. Setting Located at the centre of Donegall Square with railed green areas to the north, east and west enclosed by cast-iron railings on Portland limestone plinth wall and pairs of matching iron gates with decorative iron cartouches supported on tall Portland limestone ashlar piers with panels and keystone capstones. Stone setts to all driveways with stone paved footpaths leading through lawns with numerous statues and memorials. Roof:Natural slate / Copper RWG: Cast-iron Walling: Portland limestone ashlar Windows :Timber sash

Architects

Thomas, Alfred Brumwell

Historical Information

Belfast City Hall, constructed between 1896 and 1906, was erected as an expression of Belfast’s growing confidence as a municipal centre at the turn of the 20th century and reflected the elevation of Belfast to city status in 1888. Belfast’s City Hall was constructed only thirty years after the completion of Belfast’s original town hall and was built on the site of the White Linen Hall, its Georgian predecessor on Donegall Square. The White Linen Hall, a two-storey brick building, was erected in 1783-85 to designs attributed to Roger Mulholland. The 1819 Belfast Street Directory states that the White Linen Hall was erected on the site of the 17th century Belfast Castle Gardens (which extended north from Donegall Place and incorporated portions of Donegall Square); the directory notes that the Linen Hall was established by subscription and was erected to the south of Belfast’s historic centre ‘with intent of removing the sales of white linen from Dublin, to the heart of the manufacture’ in Ulster. The majority of the linen traded in the early-19th century was exported from Ulster to America and the West Indies; however, prior to the erection of the White Linen Hall, all of this trade had passed through Dublin (Belfast Street Directory – 1819). Hardy’s Twenty-one views in Belfast and its neighbourhood, published in 1837, described the White Linen Hall as ‘an extensive range of building … completely surrounded by a handsome railing on a low brick wall, coped with stone. The interior of the building is fitted up with different offices and rooms for the factors, and is particularly well calculated for the purposes for which it was designed’ (Hardy, p. 18). Lewis, a contemporary of Hardy, wrote that the White Linen Hall ‘affords great facility for making up assorted cargoes for foreign countries; great quantities are exported to America, the West Indies … and nearly all the London merchants are supplied by factors resident there’ (Lewis). The White Linen Hall continued to stand at Donegall Square for over a century until its demolition in 1896; the Linen Hall Library had its first premises in the White Linen Hall, the subscription lending library acquired its first permanent offices in 1802, however with the granting of city status in 1888 the library, informed of the intended demolition of the hall, acquired its current premises at No. 17 Donegall Square North (see HB26/50/013B). Less than thirty years before the laying of the City Hall’s foundation stone, construction began on Belfast Town Hall, located on Victoria Street (see HB26/50/044). The redbrick and red sandstone hall was the first purpose-built municipal hall built to accommodate Belfast Corporation and was the result of an architectural competition held in 1869. Interestingly, three years prior, Thomas Turner proposed the construction of a town hall on Donegall Square, predating the opening of Belfast City Hall on the same site by 50 years (Builder, p. 245; Dublin Builder, p. 21). The town hall, completed in 1871, provoked controversy as it was deemed to be too plainly ornamented; the public protest stated that ’it was not a public building, not having a parapet and so great was the agitation that the plans had to be submitted to the Treasury for consideration’ (Brett). In 1888 Queen Victoria bestowed city status upon the town of Belfast and it was almost immediately determined that the town hall should be supplanted by a grander edifice that reflected the newly elevated character and confidence of the city. Donegall Square was acquired for the construction of the new building, the design of which, once again, was determined by an architectural competition. The Builder records that at least six individuals and firms participated in the competition including local architects, Watt (Graeme) & Tulloch and William John Fennell. The winner of the competition was Alfred Brumwell Thomas (1868-1948), an English architect, based in London, who was virtually unknown at the time of the competition and had previously been in partnership with his father Edward Thomas (Builder, p. 470; Dictionary of Irish Architects). The foundation stone of Belfast City Hall was laid on 18th October 1898 by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Cadogan. Construction of the hall took approximately eight years; the building was effectively completed by October 1905 and the builder contracted to undertake the design was H & J Martin of Belfast. The third edition of the Ordnance Survey map (1901-02) depicted the City Hall whilst still under construction, however the map recorded that the current layout of the hall had been completed by 1902; the map captioned the municipal building as ‘CITY HALL or COUNCIL HO[USE].’ Belfast City Hall was officially opened by the Lord Lieutenant (the Earl of Aberdeen) on 1st August 1906 (Irish Builder). The new city hall became the municipal centre of Belfast and the Belfast Corporation was accordingly moved from its original headquarters at Victoria Street upon its completion. The 1907 Belfast Street Directory notes that the city hall possessed a large number of municipal offices and departmental headquarters, including Belfast’s Town Clerk, Cemetery & Parks Department, the City Surveyor’s Department, the City Rate Office, the Public Health Department and the City Accountant’s Department to name but a few (Belfast Street Directory – 1907). Upon its completion Belfast City Hall was valued at £9,400, a rating that was not altered by the cancellation of the Annual Revisions in 1930. The value of Belfast City Hall was increased to £15,000 under the First General Revaluation of property in Northern Ireland. There was no further valuation carried out to the civic building for over two decades due to the outbreak of the Second World War; the city hall received a direct hit during the Belfast Blitz in 1941 and in the aftermath of the war the damage was repaired at a cost of £50,000; this work was carried out in 1953 and partially contributed towards the increase in the value of the building to £28,000 under the second revaluation of 1956-72 (Irish Builder, p. 1097). Donegall Square originally lay outside of Belfast’s original 17th Century settlement walls and formed part of Belfast Castle’s gardens; the square was laid out in the late-18th century with Donegall Place forming a link between the Georgian green and the historic centre of the town. The White Linen Hall was the first building to be constructed under the Georgian development of Donegall Square; Brett described the linen hall as ‘a very large building, of two storeys, 382 feet long by 282 feet deep externally, the main façade being 27 bays long … there was a central pedimented block with a tall quoined entrance archway and a subsidiary block with three-light Venetian windows at either side of it. The windows on the inside of the entrance block had Gibbsian surrounds.’ Although never confirmed, a number of commentators suggest that Roger Mulholland was the architect and builder of the White Linen Hall. With the granting of city status in 1888, the Countess of Shaftesbury, stated her intention to reacquire Donegall Square with the intention of granting the plot of land to the Belfast Corporation for the construction of a new City Hall. The White Linen Hall was demolished in 1892 (Brett: Twenty-one views, p. 18). Larmour states that the design of the City Hall, undertaken by A. B. Thomas, ‘was an impressive essay in what was known at the time as the Classic Renaissance style, in a particular form of it that has now come to be termed Baroque, or to be more precise, Baroque Classicism.’ Thomas’ design drew inspiration from many Classical and contemporary sources, for example the domes and facades of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London directly influenced the monumental style of Belfast City Hall, whilst the design also mirrored more recent work such as Glasgow City Chambers (1882-90) and the former Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Offices building (now the Port of Liverpool Building) which was constructed in 1904-07 (Larmour). Patton states that, upon its completion, Belfast City Hall had cost upwards of £360,000 ‘of which £21,681 had been spent on Italian marbles, £9,817 in carving and sculpture, and £7,164 on plasterwork.’ The artist contracted to design and execute the carvings located in the pediment of the building was Frederick William Pomeroy (1856-1924), an English sculptor who carried out the work with the assistance of J. Edgar Winter (1875-1937), a local stone and wood carver (Brett, pp 66-67; Patton, p. 113; Dictionary of Irish Architects). Larmour states that the interiors of the building were constructed to a superb ‘quality of material and workmanship.’ The original marble work was carried out by Famer & Brindley of London, the plasterwork by George Rome & Co. Of Glasgow, the stained glass windows were by Ward & Partners, whilst the electrical lighting was installed by Campbell Brothers. The bronze statue located in the main landing of the City Hall is of Frederick Richard (1827-1853) the Earl of Belfast and son of the Third Marquis of Donegall, who had died at a young age. The statue was designed by Patrick MacDowell and was originally unveiled outside the Royal Belfast Academical Institution in 1855; the statue was moved to the City Hall in 1906 upon the buildings completion (Larmour: An Illustrated Architectural Guide, p. 60). Upon Belfast City Hall’s completion, the building was hailed as ‘a magnificent edifice, worthy in every sense of the rank which Belfast holds amongst the cities of the Empire, and a fitting centre for its municipal enterprise’ (Belfast Newsletter, 1906). Alfred Brumwell Thomas’s design successfully expressed Belfast’s new-found status as a city, Larmour described the buildings as ‘a perfect expression of the prosperity and civic pride of the city at the turn of the twentieth century ... The complete embodiment of Edwardian splendour [and it] still dominates the city over a century after opening’ (Larmour, pp 163-65). In addition to being occupied by municipal offices and its role as the meeting place of the Belfast Corporation, between 22 June 1921 and September 1932, Belfast City Hall was utilised as the seat of the Northern Ireland parliament prior to the erection of the Parliament Buildings at Stormont. The first parliament was opened by King George V at Belfast City Hall on the 22nd June 1921 (Patton). The City Hall suffered a direct hit during the Belfast Blitz of May 1941; falling Luftwaffe bombs severely damaged the Great Hall (located on the east wing of the building), destroying its roof and most of the interior’s architectural features. The Great Hall was rebuilt in 1952-53 to the original specifications; this repair work cost £50,000 however the plasterwork ceiling mouldings were not accurately replaced (Irish Builder, p. 1097; Bombs on Belfast, pp 24-25; Larmour, p. 125). Belfast City Hall was listed Category A in 1975. Throughout the Northern Ireland Troubles, Belfast City Hall was closed to the public due to security concerns; however in 1991 the building was reopened for tours. In 2009 Belfast City Hall reopened to the public after a major refurbishment that cost £11 million; during the renovation, which took two years to complete, heating and electrical systems were replaced, asbestos was removed, drainage systems and roofs were repaired, and a coffee shop and exhibition area were added (Belfast City council Website). References Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1858 2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1901-02 3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1931 4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1938 5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/19-42 - Annual Revisions 1897-1930 6. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/14 – First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland 1935 7. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/39 – Second General Revaluation of Northern Ireland 1956-1972 8. Lewis’ Topographical Dictionary (1837) 9. Twenty-one views in Belfast and its neighbourhood (1837) 10. Belfast Street Directories (1819-1943) 11. Builder, Vol. 10. (17 Apr 1852) 12. Dublin Builder, Vol. 12. (15 Jun 1870) 13. Irish Builder, Vol. 98 (1 Dec 1896); Vol. 46 (27 Feb 1904); Vol. 48 (28 Jul, 11 Aug, 22 Sept 1906); Vol. 95 (24 Oct 1953) 14. Belfast Newsletter (2 Aug 1906) 15. First Survey Record – HB26/50/001 (1970) 16. First Survey Image – HB26/50/001 (1971) 17. Ordnance Survey map – 130-13SE (1959) Secondary Sources 1. ‘Bombs on Belfast: The Blitz 1941’ Newtownards: Colourpoint Books, 2011. 2. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Buildings of Belfast: 1700-1914’ Belfast: Friar’s Bush Press, 1985. 3. Brett, C. E. B; Hardy, P. D., ‘Twenty-one views in Belfast and its neighbourhood’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2005 (being a reprint and update of Hardy’s 1836 work). 4. Dixon, H; Walker, B., ‘In Belfast Town: 1864-1880’ Belfast: The Friar’s Bush Press, 1996. 5. Larmour, P., ‘Belfast: An illustrated architectural guide’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1987. 6. Larmour, P., ‘Belfast City Hall: An architectural History’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2010. 7. Patton, M., ‘Central Belfast: An historical gazetteer’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1993. 8. Pollock, V. & Parkhill, T., ‘Britain in old photographs: Belfast’ Gloucestershire, Sutton Publishing Ltd, 1997. Online Resources 1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie/ 2. Belfast City Council website - http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/cityhall/refurbishment.asp

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form E. Spatial Organisation I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

V. Authorship W. Northern Ireland/International Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Symmetrical multi-bay two and three-storey over basement Portland stone Baroque Revival City Hall, completed in 1906, to the designs of Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas replacing the White Linen Hall built c.1785. Following the elevation of Belfast to city status in 1888, the construction of the City Hall reflected the new found confidence and civic pride. A flamboyant exercise in Baroque revivalism, the building exhibits an array of architectural devices borrowed and inspired by Sir Christopher Wren, James Gibbs and John Nash. The impressive exterior is matched by an equally elaborate interior complete with triple-height gallery, marble-lined receptions and decorative dome. An exemplary building of its type, the City Hall has formed the definitive focal point of the city for over one hundred years.

General Comments

Formerly HB26/50/001

Date of Survey

15 February 2013