St George's Hall

St George's Hall, built between 1851 and 1853, was designed by Lockwood and Mawson and is their first major public commission. This large hall, intended for concerts and meetings, features a late classical temple style inspired by the Birmingham Guildhall, though it is characterized by somewhat heavy detailing typical of its time. The building is constructed from ashlar sandstone sourced from quarries near Leeds, as the Bradford quarries were not yet fully operational. The ground floor is designed as a high podium, featuring rusticated and vermiculated stonework, with a panelled impost string and large garlanded fluted consoles that support a deep modillion bracket entablature. The entrance front showcases a pedimented pentastyle engaged portico of the Composite order, with quoin pilasters, above the podium. The elevation is nine bays wide and employs the same giant engaged order, with a similar return to Drake Street featuring a flat entablature. The hall occupies a very important corner site.