Brisbane City Hall is the seat of the
City CouncilBrisbane City Council is the governing council for Brisbane, which is the capital of Queensland, Australia. Unlike councils in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, where the local councils are generally responsible only for the relatively small Central Business Districts of those cities, Brisbane...
of
BrisbaneBrisbane is the state capital of the Australian state of Queensland and is the largest city in that state. With an estimated population of approximately 2 million, it is also the third most populous city in Australia....
,
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia that occupies the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
. It is located adjacent to
King George SquareKing George Square is a public square, located between Adelaide Street and Ann Street , in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Adjacent to King George Square is Brisbane City Hall...
, where the rectangular City Hall has its main entrance. The City Hall also has frontages to both
Ann StreetAnn Street runs parallel to Adelaide Street and is the northern-most street in the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia. It is a major thoroughfare, running straight through the city and linking the suburb of Fortitude Valley with the Riverside Expressway....
and
Adelaide StreetAdelaide Street, which is a major thoroughfare in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, runs parallel to Queen Street and Ann Street.Notable buildings and parks along Adelaide Street include Brisbane City Hall, King George Square, ANZAC Square with the Shrine of Remembrance , ANZAC Square Arcade, Law...
.
Foundation
The City Hall was once the tallest building in Brisbane (see external links below for image from 1957). The building was designed by the firm Hall & Prentice, in association with four young New South Wales Architects: Bruce Dellit , Peter Kaad,
Emil SoderstenEmil Lawrence Sodersten was an Australian architect active in the second quarter of the 20th Century. His work encompassed the Australian architectural styles of Art Deco and Functionalist & Moderne. His deign for the Australian War Memorial was "the first national architectural monument in...
and Noel Wilson. The foundation stone was laid in July 1920 by
Edward, Prince of WalesEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the British dominions, and Emperor of India from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December 1936, after which he was immediately succeeded by his younger brother, George VI...
(later King Edward VIII / Duke of Windsor), with a
opalOpal is a mineraloid gel which is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl and basalt...
encrusted 18ct
goldGold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. It has been a highly sought-after precious metal for coinage, jewelry, and other arts since the beginning of recorded history. The metal occurs as nuggets or grains in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits. Gold is...
and
trowelA trowel is one of several similar hand tools used for digging, smoothing, or otherwise moving around small amounts of viscous or particulate material.-Hand tools:...
, designed by Peter Kaad. Brisbane City Hall was opened in 1930. An earlier foundation stone had been laid in 1917 by
Queensland GovernorThe Governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level.In accordance with the...
(
Major Sir Hamilton J. Goold-AdamsMajor Sir Hamilton John Goold-Adams, GCMG, CB was an Irish soldier and colonial administrator who was Governor of Queensland in Australia from 1915 to 1920....
) in advance of the building's construction, however it was later found to be out of alignment, and it was removed. This stone, stored in a Brisbane City Council depot, later disappeared from record.
Design
Brisbane City Hall has an imposing 70 m
Clock TowerA clock tower is a tower built with one or more clock faces. The clock tower is usually part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall, but many clock towers are free-standing....
, based on the design of the
St Mark's CampanileSt Mark's Campanile is the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy, located in the square of the same name. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city....
in
VeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy, the capital of the region Veneto, a population of 271,367 . Together with Padua, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area . The city historically was an independent nation...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
. Above the main entrance is a bronze awning and the doors are made of bronze. Lions heads are found above the columns on the outside of the building.
The four clock faces on each side of the tower are the largest in
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
. The Clock has Westminster Chimes, which sound on the quarter hour, and can be heard from the Queen St Mall and, at times, in the surrounding suburbs. Above the clocks is an observation platform, open to the public and accessible by
liftAn elevator or lift is a vertical transport vehicle that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building...
between 10am and 3pm seven days a week, free. For many years this afforded spectacular views of Brisbane, but since the relaxation of height limits for surrounding buildings in the late 1960s, the view is now somewhat restricted.
The centre of City Hall features a stunning auditorium, based on the
Pantheon, RomeThe Pantheon is a building in...
, and several smaller reception rooms. The auditorium is a large circular hall that can seat up to 2 500 people and is covered by a large copper dome. When originally built it was intended that the building would house most of the Council's administrative offices, Aldermen's (councillors') offices, the Council Chamber, a public library and several reception rooms, in addition to the auditorium. As the role of local government increased in the 1950s and 1960s, the reception rooms, hallways and side entrance vestibules (in Adelaide and Ann Streets) were converted to office space. Additional offices were constructed on the roof and in the basement.
History
In 1969 the council commenced the acquisition of the properties to the south of the City Hall, and in 1975 opened the
Brisbane Administration CentreNorthbank Plaza is an office building in the Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Located at 69 Ann Street in the central business district, it is located immediately south of the Brisbane City Hall...
(or BAC), a 20 floor tower and surrounding plaza. Most of the Council's offices then moved from the City hall to the BAC. Until the opening of the new
Brisbane SquareBrisbane Square is a high-rise building in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The building has 38 floors and rises to 151 metres. The building's main use is for office space, the lower floors leased to retailers, with a 350-space car park below the building...
in December 2006, the City Hall continued to house the office of the
Lord Mayor of Brisbane, which was previously located on the first level of the King George Square side of the building. The Council Chambers (located on the Adelaide Street side of the building), and councillors' offices, remain however in City Hall.
In the 1980s work commenced on the full-scale restoration of the building, opening up the side entrance vestibules and restoring a number of the reception rooms to their original design. These reception rooms are named for former local government areas subsumed into Greater Brisbane in 1925, such as the Sherwood Room, or the Ithaca Room. From 2003 the
Museum of BrisbaneThe Museum of Brisbane is the City of Brisbane's official museum and is located in Brisbane City Hall. It was opened in October 2003.-Background:...
(which has
galleriesAn art gallery or art museum is a space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museum can be public or private but what distinguishes a Museum is the ownership of a collection. Paintings are the most commonly displayed art objects; however, sculpture, photographs, illustrations,...
positioned on both sides of the building's entrance from King George Square) has replaced administration offices.
King George Square
The City Hall faces
King George SquareKing George Square is a public square, located between Adelaide Street and Ann Street , in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Adjacent to King George Square is Brisbane City Hall...
, named in honour of
King George VGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 1910 through World War I until his death in 1936...
. Originally this area, between Ann and Adelaide Streets, was much narrower than at present and was called Albert Square. In the late 1960s premises on the square opposite the City Hall were acquired by the City Council, demolished and the area levelled to form a larger square. The creation of the enlarged square was criticised in some quarters as it resulted in the removal of the original imposing flight of stone stairs in front of the building, when the ground level in front of the City Hall was raised to the level of the main entrance. When Albert Square was redeveloped into King George Square, the existing fountain at Albert Square was relocated to Wynnum.
King George Square is a popular place for public gatherings, rallies and protest marches. As part of the Inner-Northern Busway project, King George Square has been remodelled.
Construction Materials
The building is constructed of concrete, brick and steel, with a base of Camp Mountain
GraniteGranite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite has a medium to coarse texture, occasionally with some individual crystals larger than the groundmass forming a rock known as porphyry. Granites can be pink to dark gray or even black, depending on their...
. The granite was extracted by the first builder, Arthur Midson, from his quarry at
Camp MountainCamp Mountain is a rural locality northwest of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, near Samford. It is 20 km north-west of the Brisbane central business district...
near
SamfordSamford is a valley community located in South East Queensland, Australia. It is roughly 21 km north west of Brisbane.-Location:Samford is probably the closest semi-rural acreage township to Brisbane. There are many acreage properties located in Samford Valley which are a short walk to the...
. This deposit was worked just for the City Hall project. Above Midson's granite base courses, the east, north and west sides are clad in
Helidon FreestoneA freestone is a stone used in masonry for molding, tracery and other replication work required to be worked with the chisel. The freestone must be fine-grained, uniform and soft enough to be cut easily without shattering or splitting. Some sources say that the stone has no grain, but this is...
, a type of
sandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains. Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any color, but the most common colors are tan, brown, yellow,...
extracted from Wright's Quarry at
HelidonHelidon is a town in the Lockyer Valley region of south east Queensland, Australia. Helidon is located on the Warrego Highway, 106 kilometres west of the state capital, Brisbane and 21 kilometres east of Toowoomba...
. The sandstone cladding was constructed (together with the rest of the building) by builder Douglas Dunn Carrick. The clock tower has a steel framework, and is clad in the same sandstone. The interior includes two marble columns that support an arch above a ground marble staircase.
Notable Works
The sculptured
pedimentThis article is about the architectural element. For the landform, see Pediment .A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice...
above the
porticoA portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
and entrance, known as the tympanum, was carved by noted Brisbane
sculptorSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard and/or plastic material, sound, and/or text and or light, commonly stone , metal, glass, or wood. Some sculptures are created directly by finding or carving; others are assembled, built together and fired, welded, molded,...
Daphne MayoDaphne Mayo MBE is a significant 20th century Australian artist, most prominently known for her work in sculpture, particularly the tympanum of Brisbane City Hall.-Early life:...
in the early 1930s. There is some controversy surrounding the theme of the tympanum, which depicts the progress of civilisation in the State of Queensland. The gown-clad female figure in the centre depicts "progress" or "enlightenment", while settlers with their cattle and explorers with their horses, move out from under her protecting arms to claim the land from the indigenous people and native animals, who are represented by two aboriginal males crouching in the left hand corner, and a fleeing kangaroo. To the right corner one can see a young European male and female, adjoined by a sheep and a row of books and an artist's palette representing the new European nation, agriculture and civilisation.
The bronze lion sculptures and statue of King George V, in front of the King George Square façade of Brisbane City Hall, were initially part of the
King George VGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 1910 through World War I until his death in 1936...
memorial, which was unveiled in 1938 as a tribute to the King from the citizens of Brisbane. Since 2007, the lions, modelled on the bronze lions of Trafalgar Square, London, and the statue, have been removed for renovations to the Square. It is not known if they will be re-incorporated into the new redeveloped King George Square in 2009.
An accompanying bronze work to complement the King George V pediment sculpture, based on the life of the pioneering Brisbane family, the Petrie's (famously of Brisbane's First Mayor
John PetrieJohn "Jocky" Petrie was a Scottish football player.He played for Arbroath F.C..He holds the record for the most goals ever scored in a senior British football game with 13 goals. This occurred during Arbroath's famous 36–0 victory over Bon Accord F.C...
), known as the Petrie Tableau, also has been removed due to renovations at the square.
Forme del Mito, a collection of large bronze thematic sculptured works by renowned Italian artist
Arnaldo PomodoroArnaldo Pomodoro is an Italian sculptor. He was born on 23 June 1926, in Morciano, Romagna, Italy. He currently lives and works in Milan. His brother, Giò Pomodoro was also a sculptor....
, one of the more prominent works of art collected for and displayed at Brisbane's World Expo '88, previously took pride of place in King George Square. Also since 2007 they have been removed for renovations to the Square. The future location of the works is unknown.
2008/2009 Developments
King George SquareKing George Square is a public square, located between Adelaide Street and Ann Street , in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Adjacent to King George Square is Brisbane City Hall...
, in front of the Brisbane City Hall, is currently undergoing refurbishment for a new development to be opened in September 2009, for the 150th Anniversary of Brisbane as State Capital of Queensland, including a new re-modelled public plaza, restaurants, gift shops, and a stage.
It is also the site of the new underground
King George Square Busway StationKing George Square Busway Station in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia is a busway station underneath King George Square, on the lower two levels of the King George Square Car Park...
, linking the
Queen Street Bus StationQueen Street Bus Station is the Brisbane CBD's primary bus terminus. It is underneath The Myer Centre and Queen Street Mall. It is in Zone 1 of the TransLink integrated public transport system....
with the
Roma Street StationRoma Street railway station is a major railway station in the Brisbane central business district, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It was Brisbane's first railway station, opening in 1876...
and the northern suburbs.
Structural Problems
Brisbane City Hall was built on swampy ground; This has caused the iconic building to suffer from the problems of rising damp. Serious problems have been identified with the building, including: subsidence, concrete cancer, a lack of reinforcing in the concrete and old wiring. The Brisbane City Council has set up a taskforce to address these issues, raise awareness, co-ordinate restoration and fundraise. The website
Brisbane City Council:Save City Hall provides a running update. As part of the campaign, people can also add Brisbane City Hall as a 'friend' on Facebook.
External links