Wimbledon Town Hall

Wimbledon Town Hall is a historic municipal building on The Broadway at the junction with Queen's Road in Wimbledon, in the London Borough of Merton, England. The surviving structure is a Grade II listed building and represents the civic importance that Wimbledon acquired during its transformation from a village into an urban district and then a municipal borough. The present town hall replaced older public offices on the same site. Those earlier offices had been designed by Thomas Goodchild in an Italianate style and completed in 1878. After Wimbledon became an urban district in 1894 and a municipal borough in 1905, local leaders considered the existing accommodation inadequate for the area's expanding administrative responsibilities. The old offices were therefore demolished to make way for a larger and more representative civic complex. The replacement building was designed by the architectural practice Bradshaw Gass & Hope in a Classical style. It was formally opened by Prince George on 5 November 1931. Its principal elevation was arranged symmetrically in eleven bays. The outer bays projected slightly and used large Doric pilasters, while the central three-bay section included a ground-floor portico with Doric columns and pilasters. The borough coat of arms was positioned above the entrance, and the upper storey used square-headed windows beneath a mansard roof. The complex was designed to serve more than an administrative purpose. A substantial assembly hall stood behind the principal range, and the site also included a cinema known as the Kinema, which was originally used for silent-film screenings. A John Compton pipe organ supported a regular programme of concerts by the Wimbledon Symphony Orchestra, making the town hall an important local cultural venue as well as a seat of government. Concert performers included the contralto Kathleen Ferrier, who appeared there on 25 April 1950. During the Second World War, the building acquired civil-defence functions. A control centre was installed in the basement, while observation posts were placed on the roof. These adaptations reflected the town hall's role as a local administrative and emergency-response centre during wartime. For much of the twentieth century, Wimbledon Town Hall served as the headquarters of the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon. Following the creation of the enlarged London Borough of Merton in 1965, it continued as a local government venue for the new authority. Its civic role diminished after the council moved to Crown House in Morden in 1985, leaving the building surplus to administrative requirements. The later history of the complex was shaped by redevelopment proposals. After three planning inquiries, the rear assembly hall was demolished in the late 1980s to permit construction of the Centre Court Shopping Centre. The front range was retained but adapted for commercial use in 1990 under designs by the Building Design Partnership. Tesco subsequently occupied the ground floor, while the clothing retailer H&M took the first floor several years later. The building therefore survives as a listed historic frontage incorporated into a modern retail setting rather than as a functioning town hall.

Wimbledon Town Hall developed from the administrative expansion of Wimbledon during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The first public offices on the site were designed by Thomas Goodchild in the Italianate style and completed in 1878. They served a growing locality, but the area's transition to urban-district status in 1894 and municipal-borough status in 1905 increased the demands placed on local government. Civic leaders concluded that the old offices were too small and insufficiently representative, and decided to replace them. The new building was designed by Bradshaw Gass & Hope in a Classical style and opened by Prince George on 5 November 1931. Its formal front was carefully composed as an eleven-bay symmetrical elevation at the junction of The Broadway and Queen's Road. The projecting outer bays featured monumental Doric pilasters, while the centre contained a portico with Doric columns and pilasters. The borough coat of arms appeared above the entrance, and the upper floor was defined by square-headed windows and a mansard roof. The complex combined municipal offices with public and cultural facilities. An assembly hall was located at the rear, and a cinema called the Kinema was provided for silent-film presentations. A John Compton pipe organ enabled concerts, including performances associated with the Wimbledon Symphony Orchestra. The venue remained part of Wimbledon’s public life after the building opened; Kathleen Ferrier appeared there on 25 April 1950. The town hall also served practical emergency purposes. In the Second World War, its basement housed a civil-defence control centre and roof-level observation posts were installed. For most of the twentieth century it was the headquarters of the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon. When the London Borough of Merton was created in 1965, the building continued to function as a local government centre for the enlarged authority. Its civic importance declined when the council moved to Crown House in Morden in 1985. The resulting redevelopment debate led to three planning inquiries. The rear assembly hall was eventually demolished in the late 1980s, allowing the Centre Court Shopping Centre to be built. The principal front range was preserved, but its use changed substantially. In 1990 it was converted for retail purposes under designs by the Building Design Partnership. Tesco occupied the ground floor and H&M later used the first floor. The surviving listed frontage thus combines architectural heritage with later commercial adaptation, while the original assembly, cinema, and municipal functions no longer define the site.

• 1990

  Front range converted to retail use

  [1]Wimbledon Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The retained principal range was adapted for commercial use to designs by the Building Design Partnership.

• 1985

  Council headquarters moved to Morden

  [1]Wimbledon Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The council moved to Crown House in Morden, reducing the building’s administrative role.

• 1965

  Building continued under the London Borough of Merton

  [1]Wimbledon Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  After local-government reorganisation created the London Borough of Merton, the town hall remained a local government centre.

• 1950

  Kathleen Ferrier performed at the venue

  [1]Wimbledon Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The celebrated contralto appeared at Wimbledon Town Hall on 25 April, illustrating the building’s role as a cultural venue.

• 1931

  Present town hall opened

  [1]Wimbledon Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The Bradshaw Gass & Hope-designed building was officially opened by Prince George on 5 November.

• 1905

  Wimbledon became a municipal borough

  [1]Wimbledon Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The new municipal-borough status contributed to the decision to replace the inadequate public offices with a larger civic complex.

• 1894

  Wimbledon became an urban district

  [1]Wimbledon Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The change in administrative status increased the responsibilities handled by Wimbledon’s local government.

• 1878

  Earlier public offices completed

  [1]Wimbledon Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Thomas Goodchild’s Italianate public offices were completed on the site that was later redeveloped as Wimbledon Town Hall.

A locally significant civic and architectural landmark whose original governmental, entertainment, and public-assembly functions have largely been replaced by heritage-preserved commercial use.

• 1990

  Adapt the surviving frontage for retailStrategy

  Background

  With municipal operations relocated, a new use was required for the retained front range.

  Action taken

  The Building Design Partnership converted the front range for retail occupation.

  Aftermath

  Tesco occupied the ground floor and H&M later occupied the first floor, leaving the listed civic frontage integrated into a commercial environment.

  Source

• 1985

  Relocate municipal administrationStrategy

  Background

  The creation and growth of the London Borough of Merton changed the authority’s accommodation requirements.

  Action taken

  The council moved its headquarters from Wimbledon Town Hall to Crown House in Morden.

  Aftermath

  The former town hall became surplus to administrative requirements and was subsequently considered for redevelopment and adaptive reuse.

  Source

• 1980

  Redevelop the rear assembly-hall siteOther

  Background

  The former council headquarters was no longer needed in its original configuration, prompting redevelopment proposals.

  Action taken

  After three planning inquiries, the rear assembly hall was demolished in the late 1980s for the Centre Court Shopping Centre.

  Aftermath

  The rear portion of the historic complex was lost, while the principal front range was retained.

  Source

• 1905

  Commission a replacement civic buildingStrategy

  Background

  The public offices dating from 1878 were considered inadequate after Wimbledon’s administrative responsibilities expanded.

  Action taken

  Local civic leaders decided to demolish the old offices and commission a substantially larger town hall complex.

  Aftermath

  The resulting building opened in 1931 and served as Wimbledon’s main municipal headquarters for much of the twentieth century.

  Source

1. 1Wimbledon Town Hallen.wikipedia.org