Municipal Offices, (Town Hall), Altrincham (Architectural Competition)
ALTRINCHAM, CHESHIRE, PUBLIC OFFICES. - In competition for this building, to cost £4,000, 26 architects sent in designs. The council requested Mr. John Ely, FRIBA, president of the Manchester Society ot Architects, to act as assessor, and this award was before their meeting on the 18th inst., when it was found that the first place was given to the design " Vox Populi," by Messrs Charles A Hindle, ARIBA., and H Davenport, of Monton, near Manchester. The second place is taken by "Altrincham," by Mr J. Macnamara, of Altrincham. Before opening the assessor's award, the council passed a resolution deciding to adopt the design placed first. This is an excellent procedure, and would give confidence to competitors if more generally adopted. The designs are to be exhibited in public. [Building News 25 March 1898 p434]
ALTRINCHAM (CHESHIRE) PUBLIC OFFICES - In the competition for this building, to cost £4,000, twenty-six architects sent in designs. The Council appointed Mr. John Ely, President of the Manchester Society of Architects, as assessor, and his award gave the first place to the design “ Vox Populi," by Messrs. Chas. A. Hindle and H. Davenport, of Monton, near Manchester. The second place was given to “Altrincham,” by Mr. J. Macnamara, of Altrincham. Before opening the assessor’s award, the Council passed a resolution deciding to adopt the design placed first. This is an excellent procedure, and would give confidence to competitors if more generally adopted. The designs are to be exhibited in public. [Builder 26 March 1898 page 297]
NEW COUNCIL OFFICES, ALTRINCHAM, CHESHIRE: SELECTED DESIGN. This design is the one chosen in the open competition, in which 26 architects took part this spring. It was submitted under the motto "Vox Populi and was awarded first place by the assessor, Mr John Ely FRIBA, of Manchester, and the Council have unanimously decided to instruct the authors to prepare drawings and quantities on the usual terms. Altrincham is one of the oldest of the quaint Cheshire market towns, and the only town having a mayor, but not being a borough, being under an urban district council only. The design is in a plain, but picturesque, Jacobean style, the limit of cost forbidding any ambitious features. it is free from external timber or stucco features, and is solid and fireproof throughout, the upper floors being of concrete and steel joists, with pine block flooring. The main building contains all public departments on the ground floor, the finance offices rates and overseer's being on each side of the main entrance. The first floor is exclusively for council and committee business, and as a separate entrance and steps is provided to the Press and public gallery of the council chamber, it follows that the main staircase is absolutely private to the members and officials only. In the rear is a fire-engine house, mortuary and post-mortem room, and a caretaker's cottage. The site is a fine one at the junction of Market-street and Dunham-road, and is elevated above the general roadway. The materials will be externally Accrington red facing and Runcorn freestone dressings; internally the woodwork will be of Australian Kauri pine; passages halls, etc floored with marble terrazzo; and dados of decorative tiles to staircases, corridors etc. The council chamber is a fine room with arch panelled plaster ceiling, well lighted on three sides, panelled all round. A courageous step has been taken by the Council in deciding to omit all fireplaces and rely entirely on a perfect system of hot water heating and special ventilation; duplicate interchangeable furnaces will be used for the heating. The cost is estimated at £4,500 exclusive of furniture etc. The joint architects are Mr Chas A Hindle ARIBA and Mr Herbert Davenport, of Eccles. [Building News 22 July 1898 Page 103 and illustration]
Reference Builder 26 March 1898 page 297
Reference Building News 25 March 1898 page 434
Reference Building News 22 July 1898 page 103 and illustration
