St George's Hall is a neoclassical auditorium in Liverpool city centre located on Lime Street, opposite Lime Street railway station. It was partially opened in 1851 and completed in 1854, the foundation stone had been laid in 1838.
| St. George's Hall | |
|---|---|
 Liverpool Pals inspection by Lord Kitchener, 20 March 1915. | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Town or city | Liverpool |
| Country |  England |
| Construction started | 1842 |
| Completed | 1854 |
| Cost | £380,000 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Harvey Lonsdale Elmes |
Its architect was Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, who was only 25 at the time he won the competition to design the building. Elmes died before the building was completed and the supervision of the completion was done firstly by John Weightman (City Surveyor) and Robert Rawlinson (Structural Engineer) and, from 1851, by Sir Charles Cockerell. Bas-relief sculptures on the building are attributed to C.J. Allen, among others, and the hall is considered by many to house the world's first air-conditioning system. It is part of the William Brown Street conservation area. Elmes was also responsible for the design of the facade of the original Liverpool Collegiate Institution building.
In front of the Hall is St George's Plateau, a cobbled area with several statues of notable Victorian figures and a memorial that was originally dedicated to those that lost their lives in World War I, but has since been dedicated to all who have fallen in any wars since. The Plateau has long been associated with public rallies and gatherings, including the deaths of Beatles, John Lennon and George Harrison, also the homecomings of Liverpool and Everton football teams after Cup Final Victories. During the 1911 Liverpool General Transport Strike, many meetings were held there, including the rally which sparked the 'Bloody Sunday' attacks, when police baton charged thousands of people who had gathered to hear syndicalist Tom Mann speak[1]. The ironwork surrounding St.Georges Hall features the red rose of Lancashire indicative of its heritage as one of Lancashire's major ports.
Behind is St John's Gardens, home to many sculptures of celebrated individuals including Dr Barnardo. The name St John's Gardens arises from the fact that the location was originally the site of St John's Church, demolished in 1887. Below the south end of the building is a Merseyrail station.
The central hall is 169x74 feet (excluding side balconies) and 85 feet high, the floor is Minton and is normally partially protected by a wooden cover. The organ, a Henry Willis, has long been regarded as one of the finest in the United Kingdom. It is notable for its status as one of the few orchestral organs in the country.
The building contains a court, which until 1984 was Liverpool's only crown court, it is situated at the south end of the building. In the north end of the building is the small concert room, this can hold 1200 people.
On 23 April 2007, during the year of Liverpool's 800th birthday, St George's Hall was reopened by Prince Charles after an extensive £23 million restoration [2].
Further reading
- Bygone Liverpool. David Clensy, 2008. ISBN 978-1-4357-0897-6