Issue 44 winter 24 - Journal - Page 13
The Porte Cochère is now fully glazed with increased
levels of lighting within to create a welcoming entrance,
responding to feedback from the local community that
the entrance felt ‘unwelcoming’. A lift and staircase, along
with a glazed entrance, has been installed in the Alfred
Waterhouse-designed clock tower which enables the
Town Hall to host more than one event simultaneously
by creating a new way of accessing the building.
Heating, ventilation and electrical installations have been
unsympathetically applied over the last century, giving an
uncared-for institutional appearance to the interior. Full
new mechanical and electrical installations designed by
Max Fordham have meant that all service distribution
routes are now concealed, restoring the interior to its original appearance, while bringing modern levels of comfort
and efficiency. Better zoning of heating and lighting means
better control and lower energy consumption, working
with the new roof insulation and double-glazed windows.
Complementing the restoration of the Town Hall has
been the transformation of its external environment and
the removal of surrounding roads and car parks that
detracted from the civic grandeur of the Town Hall and
the creation of a new multi-functional civic space designed by Gillespies. This new civic space, now one of the
largest Town Hall Squares in the country, is fully accessible
and supports Rochdale Development Agency’s vision for
a new, vibrant and accessible public realm across the town
centre. The combination of new formal lawns, mature
trees, seasonal planting and public art interventions, including glazed terracotta benches and intricate engraved
paving, has created an elegant, greener public space that
frames and complements the Town Hall and celebrates
Rochdale’s rich history. Notably, the cherished Gracie
Fields statue remains in its original location, serving as a
popular meeting point within the new civic space.
Salix Grant funding delivered an Air Source Heat Pump,
and a new power supply to electrify the heating system
and kitchens and reduce the dependence on gas. It is
estimated that these interventions in combination will see
a 55% reduction in carbon emissions, with the infrastructure now in place to deliver a net zero carbon, fully
electrified building in the future.
The repair and restoration of Rochdale Town Hall has
been transformative for the local community, actively
involved from inception to completion, with more than
500 volunteers participating in the work.
A heritage skills studio has been set up in the basement
of the Town Hall, where a specialist conservator has been
employed to work out of a dedicated space that will also
Above, The Bright Hall has been stripped of unsympathetic 20th-century office provisions to reveal a double-height ceiling, angels
along the walls, and a hidden window.
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