The
builders have been hard at work in the Town Hall,
giving life to proposals announced by Shoreditch
Town Hall Trust which will turn this famous
old building into a lively hub for community, cultural
and commercial uses.
First
opened in 1865, it was said to be the "grandest Vestry
Hall" in London. It ceased being the centre of the
municiapl borough in 1965.
The
Trust has been faced with the difficult job of achieving
a commercially viable space without harming the architecturally
important areas of the building like the grand ballroom
and the battered but once handsome entrance hall.
There
are new roofs over the whole site which is proving
a major and very expensive job.
The
Trust, who were granted a 99-year lease on the building
by the London Borough of Hackney, were able to sell a
small empty site and an office block at the back of the
Town Hall to raise funds for the building work.
The
Town Hall has now reopened and the upgraded halls
and public rooms will be available for hire. There
is also a restaurant and several studio/office
units.
Find
out more from:
Shoreditch Town Hall Trust
380 Old Street
EC1V 9LT
T: 0207 739 6176
E: frontdoor@shoreditchtownhall.org.uk
or visit:
http://www.shoreditchtownhall.org.uk