Philharmonic Hall (Including Detached Poster Piers To South West And North West)

Philharmonic Hall is a concert hall built between 1937 and 1939, designed by Herbert Rowse. It features a fawn brick facade and is influenced by Dutch expressionism, particularly the work of Dudok, with engraved glass and decorative elements inspired by the French style of the 1920s. The building is mainly three stories tall, with receding tiers of parapets. Its symmetrical front includes semi-circular stair turrets on either side of a canopied entrance, flanked by seven large vertical metal windows separated by piers adorned with jagged abstract motifs.

Inside, the auditorium has walls and a ceiling that are moulded in a series of curved undulations that extend to the back of the stage. The stalls are designed to fit within the shallow curve of the gallery front, which features sheer wooden facing wrapping around a series of recesses known as quasiboxes along the side walls. The only decorations in the auditorium consist of three semi-draped incised figures on each wall and geometric perforations in the stage walls. The bar above the entrance hall is decorated with low relief panels and has a wooden counter.

Additionally, there are detached poster piers to the southwest and northwest, each featuring top-lit poster panels and a plinth with a rounded end.