Islington Town Hall

Islington Town Hall is a municipal facility in Upper Street, Islington, London. The town hall, which is the headquarters for Islington London Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.[1]

Islington Town Hall
Islington Town Hall
LocationUpper Street, Islington
Coordinates51.5417°N 0.1024°W / 51.5417; -0.1024
Built1930
ArchitectEdward Charles Philip Monson
Architectural style(s)Neoclassical style
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated30 September 1996
Reference no.1297950
Shown in Islington

History

The building was commissioned to replace the ageing mid-19th century vestry hall on Upper Street which had been used by the Parish of St Mary's, Islington.[2] The vestry hall had become the headquarters of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington in 1900.[3] After the vestry hall had become inadequate for the council's needs, civic leaders decided to procure a new town hall; they purchased a 136,000 square feet (12,600 m2) site with a row of Georgian era terraced houses known as Tyndale Place for this purpose in 1920.[3]

The new building was designed by Edward Charles Philip Monson in the neoclassical style and built in three stages: first the rear wing facing Richmond Grove in 1922, second the northern part in Upper Street in 1925 and third the assembly hall in 1929.[2] The complex was officially opened by the mayor, Alderman William Manchester, on 15 March 1930.[4]

The design for the northern section involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto Upper Street; it featured a stone porch with the borough coat of arms above flanked by full-height windows and Corinthian order pilasters to either side; there was also a window in a similar style on the first floor above the doorway.[5] The principal rooms were the mayor's parlour, which was in the rear wing facing Richmond Grove, and the council chamber, which was in the northern part in Upper Street.[3] Pevsner was impressed by the "lavish marble imperial stair to the octagonal council chamber".[6]

Since 1930, when Arsenal won their first FA Cup against Huddersfield Town, victory receptions have been held at the town hall.[7] Queen Elizabeth II visited the town hall and met with civic leaders to mark her coronation in 1953.[8]

The building served as the town hall of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington and continued to serve as the local seat of government after Islington London Borough Council was formed in 1965.[2] However, the council moved many of its officers and their departments to new municipal offices designed by T P Bennett on the opposite side of Upper Street in 1983.[9][4] Other developments in the 1980s included an underground bunker constructed for protection against nuclear attack.[2]

Islington Museum, which had previously been based in the town hall, moved out of the building in preparation for its move to Finsbury Library in December 2006.[10] The town hall hosted a high-profile reception, attended by the Duchess of Cambridge, to promote Chance UK's early intervention child mentoring program in October 2015.[11]

References
  1. Historic England. "Islington Town Hall (1297950)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  2. "From Arsenal parades to nuclear bunkers, new tour shares history of Islington Town Hall". Islington Gazette. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  3. "London's Town Halls". Historic England. p. 125. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  4. "The Civic Plunge Revisited" (PDF). Twentieth Century Society. 24 March 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  5. "Islington Town Hall". Manchester History. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  6. Bradley, Simon; Cherry, Bridget; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1998). London 4: North. University of Michigan. p. 667. ISBN 978-0140710113.
  7. "87 years of Arsenal trophy parades at Islington Town Hall". Islington Gazette. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  8. "The Gazette takes a look back at past Queen visits to Islington". Islington Gazette. 2 June 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  9. "Parking on Islington Council estates". Islington London Borough Council. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  10. "Museum news — both good and bad". Greater London Industrial Archaeology Service. 1 February 2007. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  11. "71 Times Kate Middleton Has Repeated Her Favorite Outfits". Town and Country Magazine. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
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