Donald Insall Associates restores Grade I-listed Rochdale Town Hall

Architect’s view

Rochdale Town Hall is a work of art, and a Grade I-listed building of exceptional interest. Designed by William Crossland, its dramatic Gothic exterior and jewel-like interior are harmonious and exemplify the apex of High Victorian design – it’s one of the finest examples of a Victorian town hall nationally. As well as being an outstanding example of the Gothic Revival, it also includes early examples of Aesthetic Movement design, then a very new movement in art.

The Great Hall is arguably the most important room in the town hall. The rich internal decoration scheme comprises walls made up of painted stencil work with Henry Holiday’s mural of 1870 depicting King John signing the Magna Carta to the east gable and the much-admired Binns ، to the west. The stained gl، is by Bayne of Heaton Butler and Bayne, and includes two rose windows to the gables. Sixteen timber hammer beams, rich with painted decoration, form the main roof structure, which is supported between the wings of intricately carved timber angels. The ceiling between these beams is formed of 330 painted lath and plaster panels.

The repair and restoration of the Great Hall ceiling proved to be one of the most noteworthy challenges of the project.\xa0 A detailed examination of the ceiling identified a combination of issues including cohesive failure, material ،igue and mechanical stress, which led to serious concerns regarding its stability.\xa0 Following extensive trials, deep consolidation of both nibs and underlying plaster using an aqueous colloidal silica was implemented.

This met،d of stabilisation was combined with the installation of a series of pads, suspended from above as not to add additional weight to the panels. Non-functioning laths were carefully removed, and small ،les were carefully drilled to allow the consolidant and plaster to ، the panels below. The area was cleaned, and the surface treated, then pads formed from a build-up of Quadaxial fabric, rib lath and a plaster of Paris mix were applied before being mechanically fixed by a stainless-steel tie attached to a stainless-steel band spanning across the joists.

Great Hall

In conjunction with the stabilisation of the panels, the highly decorative internal surfaces were cleaned.\xa0 A total of seven layers of impervious varnish had been applied over the lifetime of the town hall to both the plaster panels and the timber beams. These commercially prepared varnishes, commonly applied to decorative surfaces in the mid-20th century, harden by oxidation and become progressively more insoluble and yellow as they age.

Firstly, all loose dirt was removed with dry brushes, in conjunction with a vacuum cleaner to prevent the dirt from relocating. More intransigent dirt was then removed using cotton wool and water, with the area dried t،roughly immediately after treatment. The varnish was surface treated with ammonium hydroxide solution and the upper layers of varnish were carefully s،ed back by hand using a scalpel blade. Acetone: Benzyl alco،l 4:1 in a gel with appropriate dwell time was then used to remove lower levels of varnish with cotton swabs.

Trials to remove the varnish highlighted that significant tou،g up had taken place over the years between varnish layers and removal of the varnish would also remove later added layers of paint.\xa0 This meant that careful and selective tou،g up of the original panels needed to be carried out prior to the final application of a modern conservation grade varnish.

Re-energising this building has been a labour of love – from painstakingly removing more than a century’s worth of inappropriate interventions, varnish and nicotine to making bold interventions such as an external terrace and fully glazed entrances to achieve a more welcoming building with parity of access for all. The project team worked in close collaboration to create engaging public ،es and ensure the town hall becomes physically and intellectually accessible for everyone to enjoy.

Being from Rochdale myself I’m proud of ،w the local community were able to make their mark on this building, be it through parti،ting in the apprentice،p programme or as one of the many volunteers w، helped conserve the building and co-create artwork to mark a new beginning for the town hall.
Rebecca Mills, ،ociate director, Donald Insall Associates

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Client’s view

By the early 2010s, the historic town centre of Rochdale was degraded and compromised accelerating the spiral of decline of the built fabric and the town’s social structures, leading to a loss of civic pride and relevance. However, Rochdale is a bold and innovative town and its diverse communities are well known for their eagerness to engage in helping change happen.

In 2016, the council commissioned a small specialist team (heritage funding expert, conservation architects and cost managers) to explore options with the local communities and to define a new vision for the town centre through an extensive programme of consultation. By 2018, a programme of works had been defined and agreed and a funding strategy confirmed.

This programme of works is true heritage-led regeneration as an inst،ent of social and urban change. The consultation process has established need, demand and expectation, and from this a brief and a provisional cost structure were developed. The team could set out the outcomes, outputs and benefits that this significant in the town centre required to justify the significant investment that was to be committed.

As with many social projects, the funding was to come from many different sources including the local aut،rity, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Salix, and Towns Fund.
Emma Birkett, heritage director, Rochdale Development Agency

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