Waltham Forest Town Hall

Waltham Forest Town Hall
Coordinates Coordinates: 51°35′28″N 0°0′49″W / 51.59111°N 0.01361°W / 51.59111; -0.01361
Location Walthamstow
Designer Philip Dalton Hepworth
Type Monument
Material Portland stone

Waltham Forest Town Hall (formerly Walthamstow Town Hall) is a Town Hall located in Walthamstow, East London. The building is of stripped classical 20th-century architecture. Walthamstow Town Hall was designed and built by Philip Dalton Hepworth in 1941.[1] The Town Hall is made of Portland stone and influenced by Swedish buildings of the interwar period. Although it now has Grade II Listed Building status,[2] it's not frozen in time. It plays an important role for the population of the borough.[3] The assembly rooms on the sides have hosted concerts by notable artists such as Placido Domingo and Yehudi Menuhin. Beneath the coat of arms foundation stone (laid in 1983) there is a time capsule of plans and keepsakes, so in generations to come people can have an insight into the lives of people in the borough before war.[4]

Architecture

In 1929 the newly created municipal borough of Walthamstow launched an architectural design competition for its headquarters, to be built on the site of Chestnuts Farm (also known as Clay Farm). The competition attracted 70 entries and was won in 1932 by Philip Dalton Hepworth, who had studied in London, Paris and Rome but was also aware of the contemporary Swedish trend towards simplified Nordic Classicism with art deco details. Hepworth was at the time best known for some stylish residential creations but his subsequent projects included churches, a county hall for Wiltshire and the designs for numerous war cemeteries. Hepworth died in 1963. [5]

The five statues on the rear of the council chamber and the 16 relief sculptures on the portico piers are by John Francis Kavanagh.

Walthamstow Assembly Hall

This art deco building, set in the Town Hall Complex, is used for weddings, conferences, dinner dances, concerts, exhibitions and other major events. The acoustics also make it one of the UK's top venues for live music as well as recordings of the leading London orchestras classical canon. With separate bars, balcony, and ticket office. The Assembly Hall is Walthamstow's premier venue, and is often booked years in advance.

Approximate capacity for venues

Weddings and banquets 450 persons. Concerts, large meetings, 922 persons and 228 persons on balcony. Dancing (open floor, no tables minimal seating), 800 persons. No balcony. Dancing (with minimal tables and chair layout and large dance floor), 500 persons. No balcony. Dinner buffets (with small dance floor), 450 persons. No balcony.[6]

Facilities

Dressing rooms (2). Kitchen and servery. Cloakroom. Licensed for music and dancing. Balcony. Baby grand piano. Stage lighting. PA system. Licensed bar. Access to ground floor areas and toilets. Pay and Display car parking facilities available.

Dimensions

Main hall: 97'-6" x 68'-5" Antler bar: 60' x 27' Stage: 24' x 36 [7]

References

  1. ↑ Oxford University Press (1973) The Victoria History of the counties of England. Vol. 6. London: University of London
  2. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1190868)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  3. ↑ http://hidden-london.com/nuggets/walthamstow-town-hall/
  4. ↑ http://londonist.com/2012/08/top-10-things-to-do-in-the-borough-of-waltham-forest.php
  5. ↑ http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=201575
  6. ↑ http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/pages/servicechild/walthamstow-assembly-hall.aspx#Howtobook
  7. ↑ http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/pages/servicechild/walthamstow-assembly-hall.aspx#Howtobook
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