BuildingCity Hall

[micksheff, 20.07.2007] Sheffield has some amazing architecture and magnificent Victorian buildings and the City Hall which dominates the centre of the city is one of the grandest buildings of them all, yet surprisingly this building is not Victorian at all, but instead it is actually late Edwardian. The first stones, which came from the local Darley Dale quarry in Derbyshire, were not laid until the very end of the 1920's and the City Hall first opened its doors to the public on the 22nd September 1933.

E Vincent Harris, a well-respected Architect of the time and one of the last exponents of the classical revival style designed the Sheffield City Hall. He had previously made his name in London designing Government Offices between Whitehall and the Embankment and was later involved in the design of the Leeds Civic Hall and the Manchester City Library as well as numerous other public buildings.

Construction of the City Hall was delayed for eight years due to the economic climate of the country following the First World War. The original budget was £266,000 (400,000 Euros) but by the time the project was completed it had actually cost £500,000 (750,000 Euros).

The Organ that is housed in the Oval Hall cost an incredible £12,650 (19,000 Euros) alone and today it is the only surviving example of its kind anywhere in the world, today it has a value well in excess of a million pounds (1.5 million Euros).

The City Hall closed in May 2004 for a period of 18 months and underwent a major refurbishment. Since its re-opening the Sheffield City Hall has been the premier location within the city for live entertainment and it has played host to some of the biggest celebrities of this century.

Today the Sheffield City Hall has many different functions, including the following:

1) It is currently the home to over 400 different events each year.
2) It hosts the Sheffield International Concert Season.
3) It provides Corporate Hospitality with a wide range of different Business activities including Exhibitions, Conferences, Banquets, Seminars and Meetings.
4) It is also home to several different Nightclubs within the city.

The Sheffield International Concert Season - When it comes to events this is often referred to as the Jewel in the Crown and the International Concert Season has recently celebrated its 75th year at the City Hall which is a truly remarkable achievement.
This classical concert begins with an opening from the world famous Halle Orchestra accompanied by the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus.
To be honest classical music does nothing for me so this is not an event that I would consider visiting personally but my parents have been to this several times over the years and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The City Hall has a wide range of different meeting areas available for hire which range from small syndicate rooms which hold just 20-30 people to the main Irwin Mitchell Oval Hall which can accommodate 2,271 people. The Hall's imposing and historic surroundings make it ideal for seminars, presentations and conferences, and its central location within the city, including close proximity to several hotels, make it an ideal choice of location for business people who are from out of town.

The ballroom beneath the City Hall is home to a nightclub called Hot Pants which has established itself as one of Sheffield's most popular clubs. Hot Pants is a musical celebration of everything 1970's and takes place every Saturday night.
I have been to Hotpants quite a few times and believe me it is a fantastic night. Admission is £5 (7.5 Euros) and the bars stay open until 2am.
The ballroom is an ideal location to use a nightclub due to its huge size and also the fact that there is a cafe in this area. The ballroom is effectively split into two large rooms by the pillars that form the supporting structure of the building, but it is easy to walk freely between the two areas. There is a bar in each room and different music is usually played in each area.
Other nightclub events which take place in the ballroom are less regular but still as popular like Love Town which features the latest hottest DJ's from all over the country and takes place on the last Friday of every month.

The recent £12 million (18 million Euros) refurbishment of the City Hall meant that it was closed for 18 months. It re-opened its doors in October 2005 and I was fortunate enough to get a VIP invitation to the opening night, which featured live comic acts, free drinks and refreshments and a guided tour of the main hall then followed this.

The Irwin Mitchell Oval Hall has been totally re-carpeted and all of the seating has been replaced with new. This new seating is a nice shade of blue, which compliments the surroundings perfectly.

The Memorial Hall also has completely new seats, which are now removable and there is a new stage, which can be dismounted in various sections to make it larger or smaller or it can even be completely removed. This makes the whole area a lot more flexible.

The entrance and foyer areas have also been completely transformed. The original black marble floor which had previously been carpeted over has now been exposed once again, whilst the old glass box office has now been removed and replaced with a modern corner box office which provides a much larger area of open space.

This refurbishment had served a dual purpose, it helped to recapture the spirit of the original building whilst also bringing it up to the standard that is now expected from a thriving public building of today. This refurbishment has enabled vastly improved facilities for the disabled including two new customer lifts, as well as greatly improved catering facilities.

I have visited the City Hall many times over the years and it really does feel like it is a part of my life.

When I was young my mum would take us the pantomimes which always took place there around Christmas time. Last year's show was Humpty Dumpty, what a pity I was a little bit too old to go on my own and I did not have any kids to take.

As I reached my teens I visited the City Hall on several occasions to watch the bands that played here. The list of bands that I have seen at the City Hall is far too long to list here but includes Depeche Mode, New Order and the Human League.

Now I am a fully-grown adult I still visit the City Hall occasionally and I will definitely be going to Hotpants again soon.

The City Hall is situated right in the heart of the City Centre and is served frequently by both buses and trams. Car parking is available right outside the City Hall but these spaces are quite limited and often full, these spaces are also pay and display until 8pm and can work out quite expensive.