Ralli Hall

Last updated

Ralli Hall
Ralli Hall, Denmark Villas, Hove (July 2010, from East).JPG
The main entrance to Ralli Hall from the east
Location81 Denmark Villas, Hove, Brighton and Hove BN3 3TH, United Kingdom
Coordinates 50°50′05″N0°10′12″W / 50.8346°N 0.1699°W / 50.8346; -0.1699
Built1913
Built for All Saints Church, Hove (memorial to Stephen Ralli)
Restored1976
Restored byBrighton & Hove Jewish Community
ArchitectRead and Macdonald
Architectural style(s) Edwardian Baroque/Wrenaissance
Governing bodyBrighton & Hove Jewish Community (owner)
Website www.rallihall.com
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameRalli Memorial Hall, walls and railings
Designated2 November 1992
Reference no.1298671
BrightonHove OSM1.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location within Brighton and Hove

Ralli Hall (also known as Ralli Memorial Hall) [1] is a community centre, events venue, theatre stage, business hub and impressive main hall in Hove, part of the English coastal city of Brighton and Hove. Built in 1913 as a memorial to Stephen Ralli, a member of a wealthy Greek family who had donated money to many causes throughout Brighton and Hove, it was used for about 60 years as a church hall linked to Hove's parish church. The Brighton & Hove Jewish community subsequently bought it, and in 1976 it came back into use as a community and social centre for Jewish and other groups. The Wrenaissance-style brick structure occupies a prominent corner site in a conservation area and provides a visual contrast to the older villas around it. English Heritage has listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

Contents

History

The Ralli family, the first members of which moved to England in the 1820s from Chios in Greece, established a successful trading empire in London in the 19th century. Their business focused on grain [2] and shipping, [3] and by 1873 the five pioneering brothers and six other relatives had a listing on the Baltic Exchange. [2] Stephen Augustus Ralli, son of Augustus Ralli, made his fortune in grain and owned houses in London and the seaside resort of Hove: he lived at St Catherine's Lodge on Kingsway from 1894 until his death in 1902. [4]

The foundation plaque was laid on 14 April 1913. Ralli Hall, Denmark Villas, Hove (Foundation Plaque).JPG
The foundation plaque was laid on 14 April 1913.
The entrance is in a hexagonal porch. Ralli Hall, Denmark Villas, Hove (March 2013) (Entrance Porch).JPG
The entrance is in a hexagonal porch.

Both Stephen and other members of the family attended All Saints Church (the parish church of Hove, built in 1889–1901 by John Loughborough Pearson and his son) [5] and were major benefactors of charitable causes in the area. [3] For example, Stephen Ralli made a donation of £300 (£42,000 in 2024) [6] to a fund set up to help victims of a typhoid epidemic in nearby Worthing in 1893. [4] In 1904, his widow Marietta commissioned three stained glass windows in the church to commemorate him, and gave £26,434 (£3,597,500 in 2024) [6] from her inheritance to the Royal Sussex County Hospital "to endow and fit up a department of clinical research and bacteriology". The Stephen Ralli Building at the hospital was demolished in 2000 but was replaced by a new facility with the same name. [3] [4]

"The most visible reminder of the family" in Hove, though, was founded in 1913. [4] The area around Hove railway station was mostly built up with houses by the end of the 19th century, but a large plot at the junction of Denmark Villas and Station Approach remained vacant. [7] All Saints lacked a church hall, [3] so Ralli's grandson (also named Stephen) and widow decided to pay for the construction of a hall as a memorial to him. London-based architects Read and Macdonald, who designed many buildings on that city's Cadogan and Grosvenor Estates, were commissioned to design it, [8] and the firm of Chapman, Lowry and Puttoch constructed the building. [4] Stephen Ralli laid the foundation stone (in the form of a plaque) on 14 April 1913, and a board of trustees was set up to administer the building. The indenture was issued on 2 May 1913 in the names of Marietta Ralli, Rev. L.H. Burrows (the vicar of Hove), a local Justice of the Peace and two others. [4]

Almost immediately, the gymnasium in the basement section of the building was put to use as a drill hall to train soldiers fighting in World War I. [3] They were part of the 106th Brigade RFA, whose operational base was the nearby Hove Recreation Ground. Among the other facilities at that time were a kitchen, dressing rooms and a large auditorium-style room with a stage, gallery and seating capacity of 350, which was licensed as a cinema and theatre in October 1913. Another theatrical licence was granted in 1926, by which time the hall was also used by eight Girl Guide patrols and various community groups. [4]

All Saints Church gradually used the building less, and a new church hall was built closer to the church in the 1970s. By that time, many community groups were using the wide variety of rooms and facilities; but consideration was given to selling the hall. From 30 September 1973, Ralli Hall was closed except for the rooms in the basement, and a speculative planning application was submitted seeking demolition of the hall and its replacement with 24 flats—apparently to gauge the likely value of the land. Permission was granted, but the trustees refused to go ahead with the proposal. The East Sussex Social Services Department expressed an interest in buying the building in 1975. [4] Before any action could be taken, though, the hall was put up for sale to the highest bidder. Only two groups expressed an interest—Hove Borough Council and the Brighton & Hove Jewish Youth Council, an organisation supporting Hove's large Jewish community (about 10,000 Jewish people live in the Brighton and Hove area). [9] This group was successful with its bid of £65,000; over £50,000 had already been raised by the community by the time the purchase was agreed. [10] When the building reopened after substantial renovations (which took the overall cost of the purchase above £100,000), several rooms were named after major donors. The work was done quickly: Ralli Hall reopened on 30 June 1976 in a ceremony led by Frankie Vaughan. [3] [10]

The .mw-parser-output span.smallcaps{font-variant:small-caps}.mw-parser-output span.smallcaps-smaller{font-size:85%} l-shaped building is on a corner. Ralli Hall, Denmark Villas, Hove (October 2010, from Northeast).JPG
The l-shaped building is on a corner.

Since its change of ownership, the building has become an integral part of community life in Hove and hosts a diverse range of activities in its ten rooms. [4] The upper floor was licensed as a Jewish place of worship in July 1977 in accordance with the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855; its number on the register is 74657. [11] This is in addition to Hove's four purpose-built synagogues: the Hove Hebrew Congregation Synagogue (opened in 1930), the Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue (1938), the Brighton and Hove Hebrew Congregation Synagogue (1961) and the Brighton and Hove Reform Synagogue (1967). [9] Jewish Scout troops also met in the building. [10] Italia Conti Clapham & Brighton, a stage school which is associated with the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, [12] is based at Ralli Hall. [13] The building is a licensed wedding venue; yoga, zumba [14] and ceroc dance classes are held; [15] mother-and-baby, art, theatre and bridge clubs meet there; and there is a snooker room. The kitchen facilities are kosher-certified. [16]

Ralli Hall was listed at Grade II by English Heritage on 2 November 1992. [1] This defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". [17] In February 2001, it was one of 1,124 Grade II-listed buildings and structures, and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove. [18] The building is also in the Hove Station Conservation Area, one of 34 conservation areas in Brighton and Hove. [19] It serves as "an important focal point" in an area of predominantly late Victorian residential building in the vicinity of Hove railway station. [7]

Architecture

The upper floor has oriel windows. Ralli Hall, Denmark Villas, Hove (March 2013) (Oriel Window).JPG
The upper floor has oriel windows.

Architects Read and Macdonald of London designed Ralli Hall in a "restrained Renaissance style" [8] which has also been described as "Wrenaissance" [1] [7] (i.e. Edwardian Baroque which relies more heavily on English than French Baroque motifs). It has been described as an "important" local landmark [7] and a "fine composition". [1] [4]

The building is l-shaped and occupies a corner site facing Station Approach and Denmark Villas. The main entrance is to the latter; the hall then stretches back along Station Approach. [1] [7] This elevation (facing north) has 11 bays in a 2–1–6–2 layout, while the east-facing entrance wing is a symmetrical composition with a 1–3–1 bay layout. [7] The walls are of dark red brick in the English bond pattern; the hipped roof has clay tiles and prominent eaves, separated from the walls by a clearly articulated dentil cornice of painted timber; and the windows have stone mullions and transoms with leaded light glass. [1] [7] [20] Small brick walls and iron railings surround the building and are included in English Heritage's listing. [1] [7] The building provides a contrast in age and architectural style to the well-spaced, well-detailed 1860s houses of Denmark Villas, with their pale brickwork and stucco. [7] [8]

The east (Denmark Villas) elevation is dominated by a central hexagonal entrance porch topped by a balcony. An oriel window opens out on to this; to the left and right are stone garland motifs showing AD and 1913 respectively, and these are flanked by flat casement windows. Two more oriel windows are in the outermost bays. The bays are defined by brick pilasters, and the outermost oriel windows have open pediments above and richly decorated brackets below. The Ionic-columned stepped porch spans the centre three bays and leads to a recessed entrance with three sets of doors. Supported by the columns is a parapet with a dentil cornice and a centrally placed cartouche with the initials rh. [1] [4] [7]

The north (Station Approach) elevation has the foundation plaque, which reads "this stone was laid / by STEPHEN ANDREW RALLI grandson of / STEPHEN RALLI in memory of whom / this hall was erected by his wife / 14th April 1913". [4] In the third bay from the left (east) is a secondary entrance with a semicircular gable across which the dentil cornice continues. Below this gable is a large oculus. The other windows have stone mullions and transoms, and the walls are supported by external buttresses. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grade II* listed buildings in Brighton and Hove</span>

There are 72 Grade II* listed buildings in the city of Brighton and Hove, England. The city, on the English Channel coast approximately 52 miles (84 km) south of London, was formed as a unitary authority in 1997 by the merger of the neighbouring towns of Brighton and Hove. Queen Elizabeth II granted city status in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grade II listed buildings in Brighton and Hove: A–B</span>

As of February 2001, there were 1,124 listed buildings with Grade II status in the English city of Brighton and Hove. The total at 2009 was similar. The city, on the English Channel coast approximately 52 miles (84 km) south of London, was formed as a unitary authority in 1997 by the merger of the neighbouring towns of Brighton and Hove. Queen Elizabeth II granted city status in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buildings and architecture of Brighton and Hove</span>

Brighton and Hove, a city on the English Channel coast in southeast England, has a large and diverse stock of buildings "unrivalled architecturally" among the country's seaside resorts. The urban area, designated a city in 2000, is made up of the formerly separate towns of Brighton and Hove, nearby villages such as Portslade, Patcham and Rottingdean, and 20th-century estates such as Moulsecoomb and Mile Oak. The conurbation was first united in 1997 as a unitary authority and has a population of about 253,000. About half of the 20,430-acre (8,270 ha) geographical area is classed as built up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grade II listed buildings in Brighton and Hove: E–H</span>

As of February 2001, there were 1,124 listed buildings with Grade II status in the English city of Brighton and Hove. The total at 2009 was similar. The city, on the English Channel coast approximately 52 miles (84 km) south of London, was formed as a unitary authority in 1997 by the merger of the neighbouring towns of Brighton and Hove. Queen Elizabeth II granted city status in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freemasons Tavern, Hove</span> Historic site in East Sussex, United Kingdom

The Freemasons Tavern is a 19th-century pub in the Brunswick Town area of Hove, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. Built in the 1850s in a Classical style similar to the surrounding buildings in the rapidly growing Brunswick Town area, it was given a "spectacular" renovation when a restaurant was added in the 1920s. Local architecture firm Denman & Son designed an ornate Art Deco interior and an elaborate, brightly coloured entrance adorned with Masonic symbols; both the exterior and the interior survive in excellent condition. The tavern is a Grade II Listed building.

Thomas Lainson, FRIBA was a British architect. He is best known for his work in the East Sussex coastal towns of Brighton and Hove, where several of his eclectic range of residential, commercial and religious buildings have been awarded listed status by English Heritage. Working alone or in partnership with two sons as Lainson & Sons, he designed buildings in a wide range of styles, from Neo-Byzantine to High Victorian Gothic; his work is described as having a "solid style, typical of the time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barford Court, Hove</span> Historic site in Hove, Brighton and Hove

Barford Court is a care home operated by the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution and situated on the seafront in Hove, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. The building, completed in 1937, has had this function only since 1996; it was constructed by cinema architect Robert Cromie as a private house for Ian Stuart Millar, an eccentric iron industry tycoon, who occupied it for only nine years. The large building later accommodated the Brighton and Hove School of Nursing, which for the first time brought together training provision for all local hospitals' staff on one site. When the school moved away in 1989, the house spent several years on the market awaiting a buyer—and in steadily deteriorating structural condition—before being refurbished, extended, renamed and converted to its present use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round Hill, Brighton</span> Inner suburban area in Brighton, UK

Round Hill is an inner suburban area of Brighton, part of the coastal city of Brighton and Hove in England. The area contains a mix of privately owned and privately rented terraced housing, much of which has been converted for multiple occupancies, and small-scale commercial development. It was developed mostly in the late 19th century on an area of high land overlooking central Brighton and with good views in all directions, the area became a desirable middle-class suburb—particularly the large terraced houses of Roundhill Crescent and Richmond Road, and the exclusive Park Crescent—and within a few decades the whole of the hill had been built up with smaller terraces and some large villas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roundhill Crescent</span> 19th-century housing development in Brighton and Hove

Roundhill Crescent is a late-19th-century housing development in Round Hill, an inner suburb of the English coastal city of Brighton and Hove. Partly developed in the 1860s with large terraced houses on a steeply sloping open hillside, the crescent—which "curves and changes height dramatically along its length"—was finished two decades later and now forms the centrepiece of the Round Hill conservation area. Smaller houses completed the composition in the 1880s, and England's first hospital for the treatment of mental illness was founded in the crescent in 1905. The five original sets of houses from the 1860s have been listed at Grade II by English Heritage for their architectural and historical importance, and the crescent occupies a prominent place on Brighton's skyline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Leopold Denman</span> British architect (1882–1975)

John Leopold DenmanFRIBA was an architect from the English seaside resort of Brighton, now part of the city of Brighton and Hove. He had a prolific career in the area during the 20th century, both on his own and as part of the Denman & Son firm in partnership with his son John Bluet Denman. Described as "the master of ... mid-century Neo-Georgian", Denman was responsible for a range of commercial, civic and religious buildings in Brighton, and pubs and hotels there and elsewhere on the south coast of England on behalf of Brighton's Kemp Town Brewery. He used other architectural styles as well, and was responsible for at least one mansion, several smaller houses, various buildings in cemeteries and crematoria, and alterations to many churches. His work on church restorations has been praised, and he has been called "the leading church architect of his time in Sussex"; he also wrote a book on the ecclesiastical architecture of the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montpelier, Brighton</span> Inner suburban area of Brighton, England

Montpelier is an inner suburban area of Brighton, part of the English city and seaside resort of Brighton and Hove. Developed together with the adjacent Clifton Hill area in the mid-19th century, it forms a high-class, architecturally cohesive residential district with "an exceptionally complete character". Stucco-clad terraced housing and villas predominate, but two of the city's most significant Victorian churches and a landmark hospital building are also in the area, which lies immediately northwest of Brighton city centre and spreads as far as the ancient parish boundary with Hove.

Clayton & Black were a firm of architects and surveyors from Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. In a career spanning the Victorian, Edwardian and interwar eras, they were responsible for designing and constructing an eclectic range of buildings in the growing town of Brighton and its neighbour Hove. Their work encompassed new residential, commercial, industrial and civic buildings, shopping arcades, churches, schools, cinemas and pubs, and alterations to hotels and other buildings. Later reconstituted as Clayton, Black & Daviel, the company designed some churches in the postwar period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwydyr Mansions</span> Mansion flats in Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom

Gwydyr Mansions is a block of mansion flats in the centre of Hove, part of the English coastal city of Brighton and Hove. Built on the initiative of a Baptist pastor and designed by the prolific architecture firm of Clayton & Black, the "elegant" Flemish Renaissance-style building dates from 1890 and overlooks a central square. As originally built, the block had a restaurant and barber shop for residents; the latter is still operational.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Church of Christ, Scientist (Brighton)</span> Church in Brighton and Hove , United Kingdom

The First Church of Christ, Scientist is a church serving members of the Church of Christ, Scientist denomination in the English coastal city of Brighton and Hove. The present building, originally a "notable" private house in Brighton's exclusive Montpelier suburb, was extended and converted into a church by prolific local architecture firm Clayton & Black in 1921.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">163 North Street, Brighton</span> Building in Brighton, England

The building at 163 North Street in Brighton, part of the English coastal city of Brighton and Hove, was erected in 1904 for an insurance company and has since been used as a branch by several banks and building societies. It now houses a bookmaker's shop. The distinctive pink granite Edwardian Baroque-style office, embellished with towers, decorative carvings and a landmark cupola, has been called "the most impressive building" on Brighton's main commercial thoroughfare. One of many works by prolific local architecture firm Clayton & Black, it has been described as their chef d'œuvre. English Heritage has listed it at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palmeira Square</span> 19th century residences in Hove, England

Palmeira Square is a mid-19th-century residential development in Hove, part of the English city and seaside resort of Brighton and Hove. At the southern end it adjoins Adelaide Crescent, another architectural set-piece which leads down to the seafront; large terraced houses occupy its west and east sides, separated by a public garden; and at the north end is one of Hove's main road junctions. This is also called Palmeira Square, and its north side is lined with late 19th-century terraced mansions. Commercial buildings and a church also stand on the main road, which is served by Brighton & Hove bus routes 1, 1A, N1, 2, 5, 5A, 5B, N5, 6, 25, 46, 49, 60, 71, 71A and 96.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide Crescent</span> 19th century residences in Hove, England

Adelaide Crescent is a mid-19th-century residential development in Hove, part of the English city and seaside resort of Brighton and Hove. Conceived as an ambitious attempt to rival the large, high-class Kemp Town estate east of Brighton, the crescent was not built to its original plan because time and money were insufficient. Nevertheless, together with its northerly neighbour Palmeira Square, it forms one of Hove's most important architectural set-pieces. Building work started in 1830 to the design of Decimus Burton. The adjacent land was originally occupied by "the world's largest conservatory", the Anthaeum; its collapse stopped construction of the crescent, which did not resume until the 1850s. The original design was modified and the crescent was eventually finished in the mid-1860s. Together with the Kemp Town and Brunswick Town estates, the crescent is one of the foremost pre-Victorian residential developments in the Brighton area: it has been claimed that "outside Bath, [they] have no superior in England". The buildings in the main part of Adelaide Crescent are Grade II* listed. Some of the associated buildings at the sea-facing south end are listed at the lower Grade II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princes House, Brighton</span> Historic site in Brighton and Hove , United Kingdom

Princes House is an office and residential building in the centre of Brighton, part of the English coastal city of Brighton and Hove. The prominently sited building, an example of Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel's "inimitable response to Modernism", was purpose-built as the headquarters of the Brighton & Sussex Building Society, forerunner of the Alliance & Leicester. The office was later used by Norwich Union, another financial institution, and now houses a restaurant and flats. The steel-framed structure is clad in red bricks with inlaid mosaicwork, forming a carefully detailed façade, and the corner elevation has an arrangement of brickwork and windows which suggests "the pleated folds of a curtain". The building is listed at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hove Library</span> Public library in Hove, West Sussex, England

Hove Library is a public lending library serving Hove, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. The "highly inventive" Edwardian Baroque/Renaissance Revival-style building, a Carnegie library designed by the architects Percy Robinson and W. Alban Jones of Leeds, opened in 1908 on Church Road, succeeding a library founded in 1890 in a house on the nearby Grand Avenue. The building has been listed at Grade II by Historic England for its architectural and historical importance.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Historic England. "Ralli Memorial Hall, walls and railings, Denmark Villas, Hove (Grade II) (1298671)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  2. 1 2 Middleton 2002 , Vol. 11, p. 9.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lyons, Mike (2012). "A Brief History of Ralli Hall". Brighton & Hove Online Jewish Community. Brighton & Hove Hebrew Congregation. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Middleton 2002 , Vol. 11, p. 10.
  5. ↑ Antram & Morrice 2008 , p. 55.
  6. 1 2 UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Hove Station Conservation Area Character Statement" (PDF). Brighton & Hove City Council (Design & Conservation Department). 18 February 1997. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 Antram & Morrice 2008 , p. 200.
  9. 1 2 Middleton 2002 , Vol. 8, p. 13.
  10. 1 2 3 Middleton 2002 , Vol. 11, p. 11.
  11. ↑ Registered in accordance with the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855 (Number in Worship Register: 74657; Name: Ralli Hall; Denomination: Jews; Date registered (as recorded on original certificate): 15 July 1977. ( Archived version of list from April 2010 ; subsequent updates ; original certificate held at The National Archives in folio RG70/150)
  12. ↑ "About Us". Italia Conti Clapham & Brighton. 2012–2013. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  13. ↑ "Italia Conti Brighton". Italia Conti Clapham & Brighton. 2012–2013. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  14. ↑ "Ralli Hall". Zumba Fitness LLC. 2013. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  15. ↑ "Hove – Ralli Hall". Ceroc Enterprises Ltd. 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  16. ↑ "Ralli Hall – The Jewish Community Centre for Brighton & Hove". Jewish Sussex. 2013. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  17. ↑ "Listed Buildings". English Heritage. 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  18. ↑ "Images of England — Statistics by County (East Sussex)". Images of England . English Heritage. 2007. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  19. ↑ "Conservation Areas in Brighton & Hove". Brighton & Hove City Council (Design & Conservation Department). 2010. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  20. ↑ Antram & Morrice 2008 , p. 201.

Bibliography

  • Antram, Nicholas; Morrice, Richard (2008). Brighton and Hove. Pevsner Architectural Guides. London: Yale University Press. ISBN   978-0-300-12661-7.
  • Middleton, Judy (2002). The Encyclopaedia of Hove & Portslade. Brighton: Brighton & Hove Libraries.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.