Hall For Cornwall

This granite Italianate stone building was originally constructed in 1846 to house the Town Hall as well as the magistrate and stannary courts, police station and fire brigade services. Leased as a skating rink in 1907 and a cinema in 1912, fire gutted most of the building in 1914. Remodelled in 1925 to accommodate a stage for plays, the building deteriorated from the 1960s onwards, becoming a flea market in the 1970s, before being converted back to performance and reopened on November 15 1997. The site comprises of a compact group of connected buildings, previously known as the City Hall and Market House, completely filling the city centre plot between Boscawen Street and Back Quay. Constructed in Cornish Carn-Brea granite ashlar, both had hipped roofs in Cornish Delabole slate. The roofline is embellished with granite ashlar stacks and a modillion cornice line. On the ground floor there are five equally sized bays with rusticated ashlar and vermiculated jambs and rounded arches springing from moulded impost strings. Triglyphs and mutules create a Doric entablature on the interfloor cornice line. The first floor elevation is in plain ashlar under a crowning eaves cornice with heavy modillions, surmounted by a pedimented clock tower in a sparser classical style. This was added in 1858 when the existing turret was taken down and a taller tower topped by a weather vane was added. Very little of the original internal historic fabric remains in The Hall For Cornwall following its 1990s refurbishment except on the first floor where there is some fine bolection moulded panelling as well as some original fire places and sash windows. The front entrance to the theatre is currently from Lemon Quay. The central modern block incorporates a proscenium arch stage, auditorium and fly tower. There are full flying facilities and orchestra pit accommodating 44 musicians. There are also two licensed bars, function rooms, a rehearsal room, coffee shop and restaurant. A £26m refurbishment between 2018 and 2021 (delayed due to the pandemic) has increased the size of the venue, with the main auditorium capacity increasing from 965 to 1,354, due to the introduction of circle and balcony levels and a narrower width with new slip seats. The auditorium has been named Cornwall Playhouse. A flexible proscenium will allow for a range of performances from orchestra to stand-up comedy. Gentle ramps across the site, combined with lifts, provide universal access into the theatre, whilst improved seating has been provided for all members of the audience, including thirteen wheelchair spaces with a variety of positions within the auditorium. Improved dressing room facilities and proper facilities for performers with disabilities have been provided for the first time. Movable shutters allow the acoustic and atmosphere to be varied for a wider variety of programming. The project also conserved and restored important heritage elements of the former town hall, customs house and market hall. In the Boscawen Entrance the arcaded marketplace designed by Christopher Eales was restored to form a new foyer for the theatre, and a café restaurant was created and will be open throughout the day.