Methodist Central Hall, Birmingham

The Methodist Central Hall, 196–224 Corporation Street, Birmingham, England, is a three-storey red brick and terracotta Grade II* listed building with a distinctive tower at the northern end of Corporation Street. The design complements the Victoria Law Courts opposite, also in terracotta, and includes eclectic details such as the corner turrets resembling Indian chattris.[1] It is located within the Steelhouse Conservation Area.

One of two Gibbs & Canning terracotta relief sculptures, Events in the Life of John Wesley, in the porch
This article is about a building in Birmingham. For similarly named buildings, see Central Hall.

Methodist Central Hall
Methodist Central Hall, Birmingham City Centre
General information
Architectural stylered brick and terracotta
Location196-224 Corporation Street, Birmingham, England
Coordinates52°29′01″N 1°53′33″W
Construction started1903
Completed1904
Cost£96,165
Technical details
Floor count3
Design and construction
ArchitectEwan Harper & James A. Harper

The terracotta was manufactured by the renowned firm of Gibbs and Canning Limited of Tamworth, which also produced decorative works for 179-203 Corporation Street and the interior of the Victoria Law Courts in Birmingham and the Natural History Museum in London. It was built 1903–04 by architects Ewan Harper & James A. Harper. The main hall seated 2,000 and it had more than 30 other rooms, including three school halls. It cost £96,165.

The street level has twelve bays of shops (four with their original fronts). The building also runs along Ryder Street and has more original shop fronts.

In 1991, the Methodist Church was converted into a nightclub; however, since its closure in 2002, the building fell empty and was poorly maintained. Currently it is only partially in use and its deteriorating condition has led to it being listed on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.[2] The building has been the subject of various proposals for conversion to apartments and offices. [3][4] In 2018 Birmingham City Council approved plans to restore and renovate the building including a 147-bed hotel.[5]

Notes
  1. "Looking at Buildings - Pevsner Architectural Guide - Birmingham". Pevsner Architectural Guides. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  2. Heritage at Risk Register 2018, West Midlands (Report). Historic England. p. 52. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  3. Roslyn Tappenden, City planners give go-ahead to turn historic building into flats, Culture24, 8 November 2004, accessed 24 November 2009
  4. "Hidden Spaces: Methodist Central Hall behind the scenes". Birmingham Post. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  5. "Councillors back restoration plans for Birmingham's Methodist Central Hall". Express & Star. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.

References
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