Civic Centre, Southampton
Encyclopedia
The Civic Centre in Southampton
is the home of Southampton City Council.
It hosts a police station
, council offices, the Guildhall
venue, the well-endowed city art gallery
, and the city library
. It is a grade II* listed building.
now being totally inadequate.
The first serious attempt at constructing a civic centre to accommodate these scattered departments occurred in 1924. In a public meeting in the following year, however, the proposals, presented by former mayor and alderman
Sidney Kimber
, were met with objections, including from notable residents, over its location, size, and practicality.
As a result, an architectural competition was held and the then-president of the Royal Institute of British Architects
, J A Gotch
, selected H Austen-Hall as the competition assessor. The designs of architect Ernest Berry Webber were chosen, involving four blocks, erected as separate contracts, but interconnected to create a distinct building. The plans were costed just within the £
385,000 budget. In 1928, the necessary land was appropriated.
On 1 July 1930, Prince Albert, Duke of York
laid the foundation stone, in a ceremony presided over by mayor Hector Young.
The first block to be opened was the south block, the municipal offices. This too was opened by the Duke of York, and his wife, the Duchess of York
, on 8 November 1932.
The second block, opened on 3 November 1933 by Viscount Sankey, the Lord Chancellor, was the west block, the law courts. This building now hosts the city centre police station, with the courts having moved to a larger complex, which incorporates some of the original Ordnance Survey
buildings. The west block includes the famous clock tower, known colloquially at the time as Kimber's Chimney, after the former mayor. The clock tower was not part of the original design, but was added later. Before its construction, Kimber and Webber tied a balloon on the site at the proposed height, and made sure it was visible from various points in the city. Every four hours the first verse of the hymn O God, Our Help in Ages Past
is played.
The other components of the building were slightly later in development. Work on the Guildhall (the east wing) began in March 1934. The Guildhall was intended as a social location for municipal functions. Prior to this, some municipal functions were held on ocean liners that were moored in Southampton docks
, including Cunard
's Olympic
. The Guildhall was opened by Lord Derby on 13 February 1937, with 2000 people assembled in the main hall for the opening.
The final block was the north (arts) wing. This began later than the others, and late alterations to the designs were required to incorporate a public library
, that was not originally planned for. This was opened in 1939. The expansion of this wing led to an increase in costs for the project, but the budget increase was approved by Parliament. This section today hosts the Central Library and the City Art Gallery.
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
is the home of Southampton City Council.
It hosts a police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
, council offices, the Guildhall
Southampton Guildhall
Southampton Guildhall is the former town hall of Southampton, Hampshire. It is now in use as a multi-purpose venue for cultural events. It is part of the Civic Centre complex, which also includes includes a police station, council offices, the well-endowed city art gallery, and the city...
venue, the well-endowed city art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
, and the city library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
. It is a grade II* listed building.
History
Since the 1870s, there was debate in the council over the housing of the borough offices: all departments were currently scattered around the town, making co-ordination and timely response fairly difficult, with the old Audit House opposite Holy Rood ChurchHolyrood Church, Southampton
Holyrood Church was one of the original five churches serving the old walled town of Southampton, England. Built in 1320, the church was destroyed by enemy bombing during the blitz in November 1940...
now being totally inadequate.
The first serious attempt at constructing a civic centre to accommodate these scattered departments occurred in 1924. In a public meeting in the following year, however, the proposals, presented by former mayor and alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
Sidney Kimber
Sidney Kimber
Sir Sidney Guy Kimber was a British politician.Kimber first became a councillor in 1910. He served as mayor of Southampton for two consecutive terms, from November 1918 to November 1920. After serving as mayor, he became an alderman. He pioneered the building of the Civic Centre and the...
, were met with objections, including from notable residents, over its location, size, and practicality.
As a result, an architectural competition was held and the then-president of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
, J A Gotch
John Alfred Gotch
John Alfred Gotch was a noted British architect and architectural historian. His brother was the Pre-Raphaelite painter and illustrator Thomas Cooper Gotch, who painted his portrait....
, selected H Austen-Hall as the competition assessor. The designs of architect Ernest Berry Webber were chosen, involving four blocks, erected as separate contracts, but interconnected to create a distinct building. The plans were costed just within the £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
385,000 budget. In 1928, the necessary land was appropriated.
On 1 July 1930, Prince Albert, Duke of York
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
laid the foundation stone, in a ceremony presided over by mayor Hector Young.
The first block to be opened was the south block, the municipal offices. This too was opened by the Duke of York, and his wife, the Duchess of York
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
, on 8 November 1932.
The second block, opened on 3 November 1933 by Viscount Sankey, the Lord Chancellor, was the west block, the law courts. This building now hosts the city centre police station, with the courts having moved to a larger complex, which incorporates some of the original Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
buildings. The west block includes the famous clock tower, known colloquially at the time as Kimber's Chimney, after the former mayor. The clock tower was not part of the original design, but was added later. Before its construction, Kimber and Webber tied a balloon on the site at the proposed height, and made sure it was visible from various points in the city. Every four hours the first verse of the hymn O God, Our Help in Ages Past
O God, Our Help in Ages Past
O God, Our Help in Ages Past is a hymn by Isaac Watts and paraphrases Psalm 90. It originally consisted of nine stanzas. In present usage, however, the hymn is usually limited to stanzas one, two, three, five and nine...
is played.
The other components of the building were slightly later in development. Work on the Guildhall (the east wing) began in March 1934. The Guildhall was intended as a social location for municipal functions. Prior to this, some municipal functions were held on ocean liners that were moored in Southampton docks
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
, including Cunard
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
's Olympic
RMS Olympic
RMS Olympic was the lead ship of the Olympic-class ocean liners built for the White Star Line, which also included Titanic and Britannic...
. The Guildhall was opened by Lord Derby on 13 February 1937, with 2000 people assembled in the main hall for the opening.
The final block was the north (arts) wing. This began later than the others, and late alterations to the designs were required to incorporate a public library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, that was not originally planned for. This was opened in 1939. The expansion of this wing led to an increase in costs for the project, but the budget increase was approved by Parliament. This section today hosts the Central Library and the City Art Gallery.