City Hall Including Police Station

City Hall with attached Police Station

This building stands on the north side of Bethel Street and west side of St Peter's Street in Norwich's city centre. It was constructed between 1932 and 1938 to designs by architects C. H. James and S. R. Pierce, following their winning entry in a public competition that attracted 143 submissions.

The building is constructed of brick with stone dressings, with the lower two storeys finished entirely in stone. It rises five storeys with a distinctive square clock tower to the right-hand side, topped with a square cupola and finial. The roof is flat with a parapet. The principal façade is divided by the central entry, which features six polygonal columns rising from a first-floor balcony and supporting an entablature. Three triple doors with steps up are flanked by bronze lions sculpted by Alfred Hardiman. Metal casement windows with glazing bars run throughout, with twenty-five windows on the fourth floor. The penultimate end bays contain small semi-circular balconies with fan-lights above doors. The three end bays project forwards.

The exterior is enriched with extensive applied and freestanding sculpture in stone and bronze. The three pairs of main bronze doors bear eighteen plaques depicting Norwich's history and trades, sculpted by James Woodford. The Bethel Street façade includes the entrance to the Rates Hall, marked by a stone relief panel of the City arms by Eric Aumonier, who also designed sculpture for London Underground stations. The former Police Station entrance within this wing features an ornate bronze lantern and relief stone panels depicting police helmets by H. Wilson Parker. The left wing, housing the police station, was extended between 1965 and 1967 in a similar style by City Architect David Percival. The north wing remains unfinished, though the Council Chamber projects to the rear of the main range. The wall facing the rear displays decorative brickwork and three tall narrow niches from which project sculptures by Alfred Hardiman representing Recreation, Wisdom, and Education.

The interior is exceptionally impressive. The entrance hall features stone and marble-clad walls and columns, with stairs lit by a window containing textured engraved and painted glass. The ceiling was designed by Eric Clarke and painted by James Michie. The upper hall is also marble-clad and leads to an extensive suite of committee and reception rooms, including the Lord Mayor's Parlour. This suite stretches along the entire main front with an external balcony approximately 200 feet long. The rooms are finely panelled with various woods including inlaid varieties, and retain original fine fireplaces, fittings, and textiles.

The Lord Mayor's Parlour is particularly distinguished, being octagonal in plan with a shallow vaulted ceiling. It is fully panelled in sycamore with veneers cut to produce a rich effect of intensely figured dado work contrasting with lighter cloud-like wall figuring. The Council Chamber itself is notable for its curving seating in mahogany with inlaid brass edges, mahogany entrance wall columns, and wall panelling to half height featuring a variety of panel designs. Many light fittings designed by the architects survive in their original positions.

The third floor hall is executed in austere classical Art Deco styling with lift entrance, lantern, and balcony. The lower ground floor contains a former marriage suite. Throughout the interior, the design language combines austere Classicism with Art Deco detailing, with references to Scandinavian architecture, particularly Stockholm City Hall.

The site occupied a cleared area to the north of the market place, providing a prominent location at the city centre. Following discussions with the Royal Institute of British Architects, Robert Atkinson was appointed supervisor of the Market Place development and produced plans for the area. A competition was held with Atkinson as sole judge, and his ground plan was retained as a condition of the scheme.

Norwich City Hall stands as one of the finest municipal buildings of the interwar period in England and a major landmark of Norwich. Its success lies in the integration of austere Classical form with Art Deco detailing, the prominent tower creating an effective contrast with the long principal front overlooking the Market Place. The quality extends throughout, from the impressive five-storey exterior with substantial portico and extensive sculpture in stone and bronze, to the finely appointed interior with extensive wood panelling, original fittings, textiles, and sculpture by leading artists of the period.