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The
Harare Town House
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Click link on thumbnail. More images...! The original Town House (1902) . . |
Location
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Harare, CBD | |
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Designers
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W. D'Arcy Cathcart | ||
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Date
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1933 | ||
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Original
Client
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City of Salisbury (Harare), Municipality | ||
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Style
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Classical | ||
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Discussion
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The
present Town House of Harare was the result of a national architectural
competition won by W. D'Arcy Cathcart during a time of sever depression.
In the words of then incumbent Mayoress M.E. Cleveland, would 'give a
lead and set an example' to inspire confidence in the economy 'by providing
a building that will be a source of satisfaction to ratepayers and a credit
to the town'. The design is in free classical style, with a typically
Florentine massive rusticated base, to create an appropriately formal
image for the Council of the day.
The building is built on three storeys, the lowest being a series of basement storerooms protruding half a storey into the ground floor. The main entrance, reception room (Flag Room) and Council Chamber wing form a central axis to the building, rising a storey above the rest and with the two courts one on either side of it. The double-storey offices were served by a colonnaded covered veranda around the court. These atria originally contained lily ponds, surrounded by lawns, but are now paved. The main entrance facing Julius Nyerere Way is approached up a broad flight of massive granite steps, with two pillars (with art deco capitols) that give an added appearance of dignity and height to the building. A pair of Cape Dutch style hardwood doors leads into a vestibule flanked by polished terrazzo; opposite which, is a generously planned staircase through to the first floor Council Chamber and offices. Inside the double-storey Council Chamber, the Mayor's chair sits on a central dais and the councillors' tables and seats arranged around it in a semi-circle. Te ceiling was designed to enhance the acoustics of the space and is heavily modelled and finished with acoustic tiling. A third floor visitor's gallery overlooks the Chamber. A floral clock in front of the building was constructed in 1950 to celebrate the municipality's Diamond Jubilee. The building was also innovative for some of the materials used. Rubber flooring, pivoted steel windows and the application of ironstone paint to imitate natural stone were used extensively. Ref. The Author |
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Web
Resources
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Credits
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Peter Jackson - Historic Buildings of Harare (1986) . |
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