Rocket at St. George’s Hall

Resource Type: Image | Posted on 18th January 2013 by Liam Physick

Here we see the same replica of the Rocket in front of St. George’s Hall, at the start of the 2011 Gay Pride march. St. George’s Hall stands opposite Lime Street station, and was built in order to accomodate the triennial music festivals that were then held in Liverpool, and also host dinners, concerts and meetings. A company to build such a building was established in 1836, with shares available for £25. By January 1837 £23,350 (£1.76 million in today’s prices) had been raised. The foundation stone was laid on 28th June 1838, to commemorate the coronation of Queen Victoria. An 1839 competition to design the hall was won by 25-year-old London architect Harvey Lonsdale Elmes: Elemes also won a separate competition to design assize courts in Liverpool, and suggested that one building could serve both functions. Construction started in 1841: in 1847, Elmes, who was dying of consumption, delegated responsibility for the project to corporation surveyor John Weightman and structural engineer Robert Rawlinson. In 1851, Charles Robert Cockerell took over as architect, and was mainly responsible for designing the interiors. St. George’s Hall opened to public in 1854, though the concert hall was not opened for another two years. Following a major restoration, the building was reopened by Prince Charles on 23rd April 2007.

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