Piece Hall, Halifax

[poliphilo]

Halifax's Piece Hall is the only cloth hall in England. it was opened in 1779 as a place for the Yorkshire wool merchants to do business. Now it houses museums and shops.  It occupies a site of several acres. There's a huge cobbled quadrangle  in the middle. In 1972 it was saved from demolition by a single vote in council. Can you imagine that? These days it would be unthinkable to tear down something like this. The 1970s really were a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

Comments

[airstrip.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the 1970s were the among the worst periods for architecture and urbanism. People were trying to show they were "looking to the future" without realizing that... well... no one knows of a future that lacks a past.

What is the building now?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's a sort of cultural complex. There's an art gallery and museum and lots of little shops. It also hosts concerts and open air theatre etc etc...

A really nice place to go spend a Sunday afternoon.

[airstrip.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. It would make a pretty terrible apartment complex (too regular and impersonal) but the regularity and expansive space benefits an art gallery and other introspective uses.

This sort of factory architecture tends to remind me of Persian mosques (here, the Friday Mosque at Isfahan).

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I see what you mean. The arches. The courtyard.

It's not exactly a beautiful building, but it gifts Halifax with a really amazing urban space.

The setting helps. The hills behind. And the Victorian church spire gives it a much needed vertical accent.