Marylebone Town Hall

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Marylebone Town Hall

Middlesex

Former Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone HQ.jpg
Marylebone Town Hall
Location
Grid reference: TQ27768187
Location: 51°31’17"N, 0°9’36"W
Town: Marylebone
History
Address: Marylebone Road
Built 1920
By: Sir Edwin Cooper
Edwardian Graeco-Roman classicist
Information

Marylebone Town Hall is a municipal building on Marylebone Road in Marylebone, Middlesex, in the urban heart of the metropolitan conurbation. The complex includes the council chamber, the Westminster Register Office and an educational facility known as the Sammy Ofer Centre. It is a Grade II listed building.[1]

History

The building was commissioned to replace the old courthouse at the south end of Marylebone Lane which dated back in part to the 18th century.[2][3][4] The old courthouse had become the headquarters of the Metropolitan Borough of Marylebone in 1900.[5]

The foundation stone for the new building was laid by the Princess Royal on 8 July 1914.[6] The new building was designed by Sir Edwin Cooper in the Edwardian Graeco-Roman classicist style and built by Messrs John Greenwood.[2] After a pause in construction caused by the First World War, it was officially opened by Prince Albert (later to be King George VI) on 27 March 1920.[6]

A public library, which was also designed by Cooper, was built to the west of the town hall in 1939.[2] The council chamber was badly damaged by bombing during the Second World War[2] The town hall ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged City of Westminster was formed in 1965. Nevertheless, the council chamber was restored, to a design by T P Bennett and Sons, in 1968 to allow it to continue to be used as a meeting place by Westminster City Council.[2]

The London Business School acquired the town hall in November 2012 and, with financial support from the Ofer family, spent £60 million on refurbishing and improving it.[7] The improvements, which were designed by Sheppard Robson, included a new glass and steel link structure between the town hall and the library allowing access to the new education facility known as the "Sammy Ofer Centre".[6] The improvements also allowed continued access to the council chamber and the Westminster Register Office using the civic steps.[6] The facility re-opened again in January 2018.[7]

Outside links

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References