The imposing facade of Hammersmith Town Hall stands before you. Its Neo-Georgian style whispers tales of a bygone era.
This magnificent building isn’t just a pretty face. It’s the heart of Hammersmith and Fulham. It replaced an earlier town hall on Hammersmith Broadway. That older building designed by J Henry Richardson was completed in 1897. It served the Hammersmith Vestry before becoming headquarters for the Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith in 1900. But by the 1930s it was deemed inadequate.
The need for a new town hall led to the construction of this impressive structure. Its site was once part of Hammersmith Creek. Imagine the engineering feat required to divert the creek into a culvert. The foundation stone laid by Ewart Culpin in 1938 marked the beginning of a new chapter.
Designed by Ernest Berry Webber the town hall was finished in 1939. Its symmetrical nine-bay frontage faces the Great West Road. A striking feature is the perron. That’s the grand staircase leading to a now-blocked doorway. Large carved heads of Old Father Thames designed by George Alexander adorn the perron walls. These magnificent sculpted heads are a testament to the building’s rich detail.
The town hall’s history isn’t without its scars. Bomb damage during the Blitz in both 1940 and 1944 tested its resilience. Yet it was repaired in time for the victory celebrations of 1945. The foyer’s murals of riverside scenes by Alfred Daniels and John Titcheli added a touch of artistic beauty in 1956.
The town hall served as the local government seat when Hammersmith and Fulham merged in 1965. A brutalist six-storey extension added in 1975 was later removed. This made way for a new civic campus a project expected to be completed in 2023.
As you stand before Hammersmith Town Hall remember it is more than bricks and mortar. It represents the enduring spirit of a community. It reflects the town’s growth adaptation and resilience throughout the years. Its story is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of London.