Wolverhampton Civic Centre

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Wolverhampton Civic Centre
Civic Centre - geograph.org.uk - 447471.jpg
Wolverhampton Civic Centre
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Wolverhampton Civic Centre
Location within West Midlands county
General information
Architectural style Postmodern style
Location Wolverhampton, West Midlands
Coordinates 52°35′12″N2°07′47″W / 52.5868°N 2.1298°W / 52.5868; -2.1298
Inaugurated1978
Owner City of Wolverhampton Council
Design and construction
Architect(s)Clifford Culpin & Partners
Main contractor Taylor Woodrow

Wolverhampton Civic Centre is a municipal building in the City of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. The building houses a council chamber for City of Wolverhampton Council.

History

Following the implementation of re-organisation associated with the Local Government Act 1972, the new Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council gained enhanced powers and decided to commission a modern facility to replace the old Town Hall on the opposite side of North Street. [1] The site chosen for the new building was previously occupied by the old Wholesale Market which was demolished in May 1973. [2] The statue of Lady Wulfruna by the sculptor, Sir Charles Wheeler, was erected on the site, to commemorate the centenary of the founding of the newspaper the Express & Star , in 1974. [3]

The new building, which was designed by Clifford Culpin & Partners in the Postmodern style and built by Taylor Woodrow Construction, was completed in 1978. [4] It was officially opened by the Prime Minister James Callaghan on 24 February 1979. [5] [6] The design, which involved a stepped profile for the building and located it on a large piazza, has similarities with the Panch Mahal in Fatehpur Sikri. [7] It received a Civic Trust Award in 1979. [7]

Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh visited the civic centre and met with civic leaders on 24 June 1994 and signed the visitors' book before departing for a tour of the new Molineux Stadium. [2] [8] Environmental works to improve the open area between the civic centre and St Peter's Collegiate Church were carried out with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund between 1996 and 2004. [9]

A substantial programme of restoration works for the civic centre and its car park, to a design by Associated Architects, was carried out by Speller Metcalfe at a cost of £22 million and completed in 2018. [10] [11] The restoration work involved changes to the interior layout to create an open-plan environment: it also included creation of a new customer service centre on the ground floor. [12]

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References

  1. ↑ "Old Town Hall – Magistrates Courts". History Website. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Chronology: 1960 to 1999". History website. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  3. ↑ Blamire-Brown, John. "Sir Charles Wheeler KCVO" (PDF). Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Wolverhampton Civic Centre". Royal Institute of British Architects. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "Wolverhampton Civic Centre". History Website. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Black Country Bugle, No. 652". Wolverhampton Archives & Local Studies. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Civic Trust Awards in Wolverhampton". History Website. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "Visitor Books" (PDF). City of Wolverhampton. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  9. ↑ "Wolverhampton Civic Centre: Conservation Area Appraisal" (PDF). Wolverhampton Civic Centre. p. 18. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  10. ↑ "£22million Wolverhampton Civic Centre revamp branded a disgrace". Express and Star. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  11. ↑ "Speller Metcalfe awarded £4.9m Wolverhampton city centre market job". Express and Star. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  12. ↑ "Wolverhampton Civic Centre". Speller Metcalfe. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
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