(Former Lord Mayor Campbell Newman):
Welcome to Brisbane and welcome to City Hall.
Officially opened in 1930, City Hall is the people's place, hosting free concerts, civic events, morning teas
and citizenship ceremonies.
It's heritage listed and known as one the grandest city halls in Australia.
But after many decades, structural and heritage work is now required.
From 2010, it will close for up to 3 years. When it reopens, City Hall will be more user-friendly
and environmentally sustainable.
Brisbane will be able to enjoy it for many more generations. I look forward to welcoming you back to City Hall soon.
[Music]
(Lyris):
Hello. My name is Lyris and I'm a City Hall tour guide with a real passion for art and architecture.
It's with great pleasure that I'm taking you on this tour.
[French accordion music]
Brisbane City Hall was officially opened on the 8th of April, 1930. At the time, the building was recognised
as one of the country's most outstanding structures, ranking 2nd only to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Today, it is the largest city hall in Australia and has more than 200 rooms.
It occupies almost 2 acres or 0.9 of a hectare of land and is bounded by
Ann and Adelaide Streets and fronted by King George Square.
The site was originally a swampy water hole. This made construction quite difficult.
Excavations to a depth of 16.2 metres were required on the Adelaide Street side of the site to reach solid bedrock.
[French accordion music]
The building's exterior cladding was constructed of sandstone from the Helidon district near Ipswich.
Queensland maple and silky oak timbers were used extensively inside.
Four types of marble were used in the interior finishing.
The white marble came from Italy, the black from Belgium, the pink from Chillagoe in Queensland,
and the brown from Orange in New South Wales.
It took 10 years to construct Brisbane City Hall from 1920 to 1930,
and by the time of completion it had cost almost 1 million pounds.
Local architectural firm Hall & Prentice were commissioned to plan and oversee City Hall's construction.
They looked for inspiration around the world.
As we move through City Hall, you'll see that the architectural style is Inter-War Academic Classical,
and there are strong Greek and Roman influences.
Large-scale fluted columns on either side of the main entrance are of the Ionic order.
The main entrance is clearly defined by a grand,
monumental portico with fluted columns of the Corinthian order.
The carved sandstone pediment is the building's most prominent artwork.
Measuring 16.5 metres by 2.7 metres,
it took Daphne Mayo and several assistants 14 months to sculpt on site from a 1 third plaster model.
The title of this work is 'The Progress of Civilisation'.
The central figure in the Classical design is robed to represent the state,
while figures to the right portray explorers, industry and the arts.
Pioneers, Aboriginal figures and native animals are depicted on the left side in a skillful adaptation of
the pediment groupings of ancient Greek buildings. All of the figures are life size.
Let's look more closely now at the Clock Tower.
[Bells ringing]
It is 92 metres high, with the observation platform at 76 metres.
For many years, the Clock Tower was the tallest structure in Brisbane.
The clock itself has a dial on the 4 tower sides. Each clock face is almost 5 metres in diameter.
The minute hands are 3 metres long.
[Lift noise]
This beautifully restored lift, complete with manual controls and open cage sides,
passes the inside of the clock faces as it travels through the Tower.
The main foyer opens onto King George Square and it's the most opulent of all City Hall foyers,
both in terms of size and finish.
It includes sweeping, symmetrical staircases, marble panelling, and chandeliers.
The space extends vertically between ground and first floor levels, creating a large void.
The Palladian influence is evident in the large arcading, vaulting, balustrading, and ceiling covers.
Australian marble is used to form a panel beneath the painted wall finish.
Mosaic tiles with a central, geometric patterning and external borders adorn the floor.
The border pattern is called a meander, which means 'to wander'.
The name was derived from the Meander River of Grecian times.
The black and white colours were often used for floor mosaics
in the formal buildings of Ancient Greece and Rome.
The staircase is crafted from white marble from the same quarry in Carrara, in Italy,
where Michelangelo obtained his marble for his statues.
[French accordion music]
Welcome to the Main Auditorium. It's also known as the Grand Ballroom.
This is the largest, single volume space in Brisbane City Hall.
Its circular design with fluted pilasters around the perimeter is based on the Pantheon of Rome.
The Main Auditorium contains a timber ground floor, stepped upper gallery, large stage with pipe organ,
and a shallow, superimposed, coffered ceiling dome, which is now covered with acoustic foam.
The large light sitting centrally above the Auditorium is known as the Lantern.
It was designed to admit natural light and act as a ventilator to the Auditorium below.
[Pipe organ music]
The pipe organ stands in a semi-elliptical domed recess of its own.
At the rear of the stage are the choir stalls.
This organ is considered to be one of the finest examples of its type in the world,
largely due to the fact that Sir Henry Willis, a famous English organ builder, built it in 1892.
It has 183 stops or registers and 4 747 pipes.
The casing, which surrounds the organ, was crafted locally from Queensland maple timber,
and even though the organ has significant heritage value, it is still used regularly today.
The proscenium frieze above the stage in the Main Auditorium was executed in painted plaster by Daphne Mayo.
It consists of 6 medallions, each containing a portrayal of a classical nymph clashing cymbals or blowing a trumpet.
This versatile room seats around 1 500 people and is used for many different functions,
including citizenship ceremonies, civic ceremonies, trade fairs, concerts,
conferences, school formals, eisteddfods and many other community events.
Within one month of its official opening, there were complaints about the poor acoustics in the Auditorium.
The formal aesthetics of this space were always intended to take precedence over its acoustic quality.
However, some steps have been taken to overcome this problem, including spraying
the dome ceiling with acoustic foam and adding acoustic panels to the walls.
[Organ music]
Now I'm in the Balmoral Room.
This very elegant room was restored to heritage colours by Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson during the 1980s.
The ornate plasterwork and gilding is typical of the Adam style.
Like the Main Auditorium, the Balmoral Room has hosted many grand events and visits by VIPs,
including Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the former US president, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, and
Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh have visited here on 6 occasions.
A visit to City Hall would not be complete without a visit to the Council Chambers.
As you approach, you'll notice some interesting features;
for example, this floor that has been crafted from Western Australian Jarrah, one of the hardest woods in the world.
There are 3 stained glass windows like this on the first floor.
These were designed by William Bustard, a Yorkshire man who trained as an artist in England at Powell Studios.
These windows feature the city's original coat of arms and motto.
The base portrays the pastoral, agricultural and industrial aspects of Brisbane,
and the border features the city's floral emblem, the poinsettia.
Let's move on now and go into the Council Chambers.
[Piano music and Council discussing matters]
The Council Chambers with its anteroom and public gallery is a grand civic space that has remained
virtually unchanged since its completion.
Its outstanding feature, the bronze and steel coffered ceiling is in an original condition.
The clear finish timber benches and seating have been modified slightly to accommodate additional councillors.
However, the modifications were carried out by master craftsmen, ensuring the additions were not obvious.
The artworks in the Council Chambers are all painted by Queensland artists and
are often replaced by works from City Hall's own collection.
From its original inception in the 1880s, Brisbane City Hall has been much more
than the seat of local government in Brisbane. It is a fine example of a neoclassical building.
This heritage listed structure contains many notable technical achievements,
ranging from the span of the copper dome roof over the Auditorium, the height of the Clock Tower and
the unique foundations that were designed to alleviate the problems of a water hole on the site.
Brisbane City Hall is an iconic venue that incorporates the history,
art and local government of the city of Brisbane.
It has, and will always be, the people's place.
We look forward to welcoming you back to Brisbane City Hall after the restoration is complete.
[Music]