Govan Town Hall | |
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![]() Govan Town Hall | |
Location | Govan |
Coordinates | 55°51′24″N 4°18′01″W / 55.8566°N 4.3004°W |
Built | 1901 |
Architect | Thomson and Sandilands |
Architectural style(s) | Beaux-Arts style |
Listed Building – Category B | |
Designated | 15 December 1970 |
Reference no. | LB33340 |
Govan Town Hall is a former municipal facility on Govan Road, Govan, Scotland. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Govan Burgh Council, is a Category B listed building. [1]
The building was commissioned to replace the old municipal offices in Orkney Street which had been designed by John Burnet and completed in 1866. [2] [3] After rapid industrial expansion and population growth in the local area, [4] civic leaders found this arrangement was inadequate and they decided to procure a purpose-built town hall: the site they selected was open land at the corner of Summertown Road and Govan Road. [5]
The foundation stone for the new building was laid in September 1898. [6] It was designed by Thomson & Sandilands in the Beaux-Arts style, built at a cost of £60,000 [7] and officially opened by the Provost of Govan, James Kirkwood, in October 1901. [7] The design involved a symmetrical frontage with thirteen bays along Govan Road with the end bays projecting forward; the central section of three bays featured an arched doorway on the ground floor; there were three windows behind a tetrastyle Ionic order portico on the first floor and a large pediment containing a carved tympanum above. [1] At roof level there was a large dome with a colonnaded cupola on top. [1] There were several portrait busts, designed by Archibald Macfarlane Shannan, placed on the Govan Road elevation of the building. [8] Internally, the principal rooms were a council chamber in the eastern section of the building, together with a large public hall with a grand organ and a smaller "upper hall", both in the western section. [9] [10] The grand organ was designed and manufactured by Norman and Beard and had four manuals. [11]
The town hall was the headquarters of Govan Burgh Council until Glasgow annexed Govan, after a series of anti-amalgamation demonstrations, in 1912. [12] [13] The building was subsequently used by the social services department of Glasgow Corporation: the ornate decoration in the two halls in the western section, including a magnificent proscenium arch inside the public hall, which had also been designed by Shannon, was completely destroyed during a refurbishment of the building in 1973. [1]
In the early 2000s, Gillian Berrie, a film producer, secured access to the building and raised £3.5 million to convert it into a film production facility known as Film City Glasgow. [14] The works involved refurbishment of the upper hall, installation of a Dolby theatre and upgrading the eastern section (i.e. front) of the building for use by creative media businesses. [14]
Govan Town Hall | |
---|---|
![]() Govan Town Hall | |
Location | Govan |
Coordinates | 55°51′24″N 4°18′01″W / 55.8566°N 4.3004°W |
Built | 1901 |
Architect | Thomson and Sandilands |
Architectural style(s) | Beaux-Arts style |
Listed Building – Category B | |
Designated | 15 December 1970 |
Reference no. | LB33340 |
Govan Town Hall is a former municipal facility on Govan Road, Govan, Scotland. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Govan Burgh Council, is a Category B listed building. [1]
The building was commissioned to replace the old municipal offices in Orkney Street which had been designed by John Burnet and completed in 1866. [2] [3] After rapid industrial expansion and population growth in the local area, [4] civic leaders found this arrangement was inadequate and they decided to procure a purpose-built town hall: the site they selected was open land at the corner of Summertown Road and Govan Road. [5]
The foundation stone for the new building was laid in September 1898. [6] It was designed by Thomson & Sandilands in the Beaux-Arts style, built at a cost of £60,000 [7] and officially opened by the Provost of Govan, James Kirkwood, in October 1901. [7] The design involved a symmetrical frontage with thirteen bays along Govan Road with the end bays projecting forward; the central section of three bays featured an arched doorway on the ground floor; there were three windows behind a tetrastyle Ionic order portico on the first floor and a large pediment containing a carved tympanum above. [1] At roof level there was a large dome with a colonnaded cupola on top. [1] There were several portrait busts, designed by Archibald Macfarlane Shannan, placed on the Govan Road elevation of the building. [8] Internally, the principal rooms were a council chamber in the eastern section of the building, together with a large public hall with a grand organ and a smaller "upper hall", both in the western section. [9] [10] The grand organ was designed and manufactured by Norman and Beard and had four manuals. [11]
The town hall was the headquarters of Govan Burgh Council until Glasgow annexed Govan, after a series of anti-amalgamation demonstrations, in 1912. [12] [13] The building was subsequently used by the social services department of Glasgow Corporation: the ornate decoration in the two halls in the western section, including a magnificent proscenium arch inside the public hall, which had also been designed by Shannon, was completely destroyed during a refurbishment of the building in 1973. [1]
In the early 2000s, Gillian Berrie, a film producer, secured access to the building and raised £3.5 million to convert it into a film production facility known as Film City Glasgow. [14] The works involved refurbishment of the upper hall, installation of a Dolby theatre and upgrading the eastern section (i.e. front) of the building for use by creative media businesses. [14]