Creating a 21st-century welcome: improving physical and intellectual access at Rochdale Town Hall

Rochdale Town Hall – a Gothic Revival gem – reopened to the public earlier this year after a four-year transformation supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and led by Rochdale Development Agency alongside conservation architects Donald Insall Associates. This marks the completion of Phase Two within a three-phase project.

The Grade I-listed Town Hall, designed by William H Crossland and opened in 1871, stands as one of the most historically significant buildings in the country – even described by Historic England as being ‘rivalled in importance only by those contained within the Palace of Westminster’. By early in the 21st century, however, the building fabric had become highly compromised and deemed unfit for the changing needs of Rochdale Borough Council.

In addition to extensive repair and restoration work undertaken to the most historically significant areas such as The Great Hall and the Mayor’s suite of rooms, previously unseen spaces are now accessible to the public for the first time.

Client: Rochdale Borough Council
Technical and client-side project management: Rochdale Development Agency
Lead consultant and conservation architect: Donald Insall Associates