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Sheffield City Hall


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SHEFFIELD CITY HALL

 

 

HISTORY

Built of Darley Dale stone, Sheffield City Hall opened on 22 September 1932 three years after the foundation stone was laid in 1929. Parliamentary powers were granted under the Sheffield Corporation Act 1919 to acquire the site for the building of the Hall and the architect was chosen in August 1920. The architect was E. Vincent Harris (1876-1971), who was a well respected municipal architect. He was one of the last exponents of the classical revival style.

As well as Sheffield City Hall, Harris was responsible for government offices between Whitehall and the Embankment (in 1914 Harris won the competition for the Board of Trade building, Whitehall, which was only completed to his altered design in 1961), Leeds Civic Hall, Manchester Central Library and the neighbouring Town Hall Extension, the Bristol Council House, and the County Halls of Glamorgan, Surrey, Somerset and Nottinghamshire. He designed a number of schools as well as residential housing.

 

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Construction of City Hall was delayed 8 years because of the economic climate in the early 1920’s but the tender of a local company, George Longden & Son Ltd was eventually accepted for a total price of £266,592. Additional to this were fitting out and other costs that brought the total to nearly £500,000. The Town Trustees contributed £5,000. The organ built by Henry Willis & Sons in the Oval Hall cost £12,650 and is now the only remaining example in the world still unaltered from the original construction. It is now valued at around £1m.

In its day the City Hall boasted “one of the most modern air conditioning plants in the country…and is frequently demonstrated…as an example of the best possible type of modern ventilation”! In 1932 charges for hiring elements of the Hall ranged from between 3 and 6 guineas for the Memorial Hall to 10 and 20 guineas for the Oval Hall.

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Since 1932 City Hall has played host to some of the most famous names of the 20th century and it continues to be an exciting entertainment and arts venue. Many world famous artists have also appeared at City Hall as well as providing a home for many local and community events.

Sheffield City Hall is currently the home to:

• 400 events per year

• Sheffield International Concert Season

• Corporate Hospitality

• Business to Business Activities (Exhibitions, Conferences, Banquets, Seminars, Meetings)

• A Variety of Club Nights

This landmark and historic city centre entertainments venue features a Classic style Concert Hall, Art Deco Ballroom, and the Memorial Hall.

PICTURES

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Picture of the site of where City Hall stands now !

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City Hall construction

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What the interior looks like now

TICKETS THROUGH THE YEARS

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BANDS WHO HAVE PLAYED THE CITY HALL

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George Harrison - City Hall Concert - November 2, 1963

There's a MASSIVE list of bands that have played the venue - we'll list a few and see if we can conjure up a few memories for you ! (feel free to add to our list with some entries of your own)

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Paul Young

Howard Jones

Gary Numan

Teardrop Explodes

Kraftwerk

Duran Duran

Spear Of Destiny

Morrissey

LINKS

Official Sheffield City Hall Website - http://www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk

 

 

 

 

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City Hall is also a famous heavy metal venue, boasting a sprung Saturday Night Fever-type floored ballroom.

"This is perhaps the only building that has decent architecture in the whole of Sheffield," observes drummer Nick Banks of the band Pulp. "The inside is marvellous. They have an indie disco in the ballroom every Saturday night,"

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It definitely looked fantastic when first built - and looking at the picture there was less clutter about around it too

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Guest grandad

I was at the Frankie Goes to Hollywood gig - it was an incredible night.

The first date on their UK tour - they were awesome - and until recently it was prbably still the best gig Id ever been to.

Ive seen OMD, Depeche Mode and Van Morrison there too.. as well as Lee Evans and Chubby Brown!

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I would love to have seen Frankie

The closest I got was the 7" version of Frankie by the Pointer Sisters

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It's such a shame the 'back-end' of the City Hall is hidden away.

It'd be great to demolish the under-used buildings out back and build a proper 'square' to view the City Hall from.

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The education buildings are being ripped out and turned into flats (using the original building)

They are gutted at the moment with workmen in there

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The old education buildings are being turned into 'Leopold Square', shops, restaurants and stuff.

I mean the ones right at the back, where the Red Lion is/was and that block (Reflex on it on the West Street side?)

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A great place to watch a concert, much better than the modern stadia where you pay loads of money to watch a giant tv screen most of the time!

Here's a few of the people I've seen there...

Gary Numan (twice)

Depeche Mode

OMD (Filmed by BBC. Peter Powell introduced them)

The Pogues with the lovely Kirsty MacColl as guest

Joe Cocker - Great to see the man live in his home town

Spear Of Destiny

Howard Jones :ph34r: (Only as a favour for a friend, honest!)

French & Saunders

Victoria Wood

There are probably loads more but these will do for now.

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The OMD concert is on youtube

;-)

Yes, I know I watched that quite recently. I do have it on video aswell somewhere.

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It actually looks like a fantastic concert too

Loads of energy and the crowd were loving it !

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Guest tsavo

When originally opened, the stage of the City Hall was adorned with two huge stone lions which weighed several tons, one either side of the entrance to the Green room in centre stage. The famous conductor, Sir Thomas Beecham hated them with a vengeance as they were "distractions". They were removed years after his death and are presently located outside the Tarmac company offices in Wolverhampton.

Link to picture Sheffield. The lions are bottom right of the pic.

http://www.picturesheffield.co.uk/cgi-bin/...jpgh/s05200.jpg

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not sure if i am doing this right - being my first time but here goes!!! i recently saw Michael Bolton play at the city hall., considering they have spent millions doing the place up, the only difference we could see were new seating upholstery, oh and a new name apart from that nothing seems to have changed since i saw Jimmy Nail and Bottom performed there a few years ago.

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Guest tsavo

You're doing fine Student Nurse, and welcome to Sheffield History. I haven't seen the new look City Hall, but if they've sorted the electrics out under the stage at least that bit's money well spent!

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Thank you! you aren't missing much believe me. Tickets are over priced, the beer is too. Hallam Arena is a much better venue, with a better atmosphere. Went there last night to see Brian Adams, the whole place rocked for 2 hours.

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You're doing fine Student Nurse, and welcome to Sheffield History. I haven't seen the new look City Hall, but if they've sorted the electrics out under the stage at least that bit's money well spent!

I have some great memories of student nurses in Sheffield, I guess that its good it was 25+ years ago, or else I'm likely to be arrested lol

Just watching for Tsavo hitting the 500 mark !

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