Issue 44 winter 24 - Journal - Page 12
Creating a 21st-century
welcome: improving physical
and intellectual access at
Rochdale Town Hall
Rochdale Town Hall – a Gothic Revival gem – reopened to the public earlier this year after a
four-year transformation supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and led by Rochdale
Development Agency alongside conservation architects Donald Insall Associates. This marks the
completion of Phase Two within a three-phase project.
The Grade I-listed Town Hall, designed by William H
Crossland and opened in 1871, stands as one of the most
historically significant buildings in the country - even
described by Historic England as being ‘rivalled in
importance only by those contained within the Palace of
Westminster’. By early in the 21st century, however, the
building fabric had become highly compromised and
deemed unfit for the changing needs of Rochdale
Borough Council.
In addition to extensive repair and restoration work
undertaken to the most historically significant areas such
as The Great Hall and the Mayor’s suite of rooms,
previously unseen spaces are now accessible to the public
for the first time.
In the Bright Hall, unsympathetic 20th-century office
provisions were stripped away to reveal a double-height
ceiling, angels along the walls and a hidden window with
views into the Great Hall. It is now available for events
and community use, featuring a permanent artwork
co-created with the local community.
A series of internal and external adaptations were made
to consolidate circulation and unlock public access to
previously inaccessible sections of the building. This
includes an accessible terracing that wraps around the
building, which replaces a series of aesthetically detracting
individual ramps while giving level access to all external
entrances.
Above, The Great Hall, where the decorated ceiling panels were consolidated and carefully
cleaned, by removing seven layers of oxidated varnish as part of the conservation work.
