Cape Town City Hall
Encyclopedia
Cape Town City Hall is a large Edwardian building in Cape Town
city centre which was built in 1905. It is located on the Grand Parade
to the west of the Castle
and is built from honey-coloured oolitic limestone imported from Bath in England
.
The Organ was built by Messrs Norman and Beard of London and Norwich, the specifications were drawn up by Sir George Martin, organist of St Paul's Cathedral in London especially for the City Hall. The workmanship and materials are of high quality, and the organ made from mahogany, teak and pine. Sir George Martin spoke of it as “a magnificent instrument in every gradation of tone, from the softest stop to the most powerful tuba being found in the organ, and all under the most perfect control, and that altogether the instrument must be regarded as an artistic and mechanical triumph”. There are altogether 3165 pipes varying from 32 feet to ¾ inch. The wind was supplied by a Kinetic Blower worked by an electric motor.
The tower of the City Hall has a Turret Clock which strikes the hours and chimes the Westminster quarters. The faces of the clock are made from 4 skeleton iron dials filled with opal. The clock has a 24 hour wheel and lever. The bells were cast by Messrs John Taylor and Co of Loughborough and the clock was supplied by JB Joyce & Co
of Whitchurch.
The City Hall's carillon was installed as a World War I war memorial, with 22 additional bells being added in 1925 with the visit of the Prince of Wales.
On February 11, 1990, only hours after his release from prison, Nelson Mandela
made his first public speech after his release from the balcony of Cape Town City Hall.
, which are located in the Cape Town Civic Centre
. The auditorium is regularly used for concerts, while the City Library was recently moved to the adjacent Old Drill Hall. The future use and restoration of the City Hall is in 2009 under review by the City of Cape Town.
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
city centre which was built in 1905. It is located on the Grand Parade
Grand Parade (Cape Town)
The Grand Parade is the main public square in Cape Town, South Africa.The square is surrounded by the Cape Town City Hall, the Castle of Good Hope, and the Cape Town railway station....
to the west of the Castle
Castle of Good Hope
The Castle of Good Hope is a star fort which was built on the original coastline of Table Bay and now, because of land reclamation, lies nearer to the Cape Town city centre in South Africa.-History:...
and is built from honey-coloured oolitic limestone imported from Bath in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
The building was designed as the result of a public competition, the winning architects being Messrs Henry Austin Reid and Frederick George Green, with the contractors being Messrs T. Howard and F. G. Scott. Much of the building material, including fixtures and fittings was imported from Europe.The Organ was built by Messrs Norman and Beard of London and Norwich, the specifications were drawn up by Sir George Martin, organist of St Paul's Cathedral in London especially for the City Hall. The workmanship and materials are of high quality, and the organ made from mahogany, teak and pine. Sir George Martin spoke of it as “a magnificent instrument in every gradation of tone, from the softest stop to the most powerful tuba being found in the organ, and all under the most perfect control, and that altogether the instrument must be regarded as an artistic and mechanical triumph”. There are altogether 3165 pipes varying from 32 feet to ¾ inch. The wind was supplied by a Kinetic Blower worked by an electric motor.
The tower of the City Hall has a Turret Clock which strikes the hours and chimes the Westminster quarters. The faces of the clock are made from 4 skeleton iron dials filled with opal. The clock has a 24 hour wheel and lever. The bells were cast by Messrs John Taylor and Co of Loughborough and the clock was supplied by JB Joyce & Co
JB Joyce & Co
JB Joyce & Co, clockmakers, were founded in Shropshire in England. The company claim to be the oldest clock manufacturer in the world, originally established in 1690, and has been part of the Smith of Derby Group since 1965...
of Whitchurch.
The City Hall's carillon was installed as a World War I war memorial, with 22 additional bells being added in 1925 with the visit of the Prince of Wales.
On February 11, 1990, only hours after his release from prison, Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
made his first public speech after his release from the balcony of Cape Town City Hall.
Future use
The City Hall no longer houses the offices of the City of Cape TownCity of Cape Town
The City of Cape Town is the metropolitan municipality which governs the city of Cape Town, South Africa and its suburbs and exurbs. As of 2007, it had a population of 3,497,097....
, which are located in the Cape Town Civic Centre
Cape Town Civic Centre
The Cape Town Civic Centre is a building in central Cape Town, South Africa that serves as the headquarters of the City of Cape Town, the municipality that governs Cape Town and its suburbs....
. The auditorium is regularly used for concerts, while the City Library was recently moved to the adjacent Old Drill Hall. The future use and restoration of the City Hall is in 2009 under review by the City of Cape Town.