Plymouth Civic Centre
General information
Classification
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated21 June 2007
Reference no.1392038
LocationPlymouth, England
AddressArmada Way, Plymouth PL1 2AA
Coordinates50°22′11″N 4°08′36″W / 50.369762°N 4.143204°W / 50.369762; -4.143204
Inaugurated1962

Plymouth Civic Centre is the former headquarters of Plymouth City Council on Armada Way in Plymouth, Devon, England. The building is in two sections, comprising a 14-storey tower block which housed the council's offices, and a two-storey southern wing called the Council House which includes the council chamber and is linked to the tower block by a bridge at first floor level. The building was completed in 1962. The council sold the tower block part of the building in 2015, but the Council House remains the council's meeting place. The whole complex has been a Grade II listed building since 2007.[1]

History

The Civic Centre before nightfall in 2004.

Plymouth City Council's previous permanent headquarters had been the Municipal Offices, built in 1874 on the north side of Guildhall Square, opposite the Guildhall, which was built at the same time. The Municipal Offices were destroyed in March 1941 during the Plymouth Blitz.[2] For the next 21 years the council's departments were scattered across the city in temporary premises.[3]

As part of the post-war plans to rebuild the city, Plymouth's Civic Centre was designed by city architect Hector Stirling. Although his design was approved in 1957, the architects Jellicoe, Ballantyne & Colleridge were given authority to make amendments to his design. As a result, some aspects of the centre was changed, but Stirling's general layout and concept remained.[1]

In January 1958, excavation work commenced by Messrs Richard Costain. In August that year, Messrs Staverton Builders Ltd began the foundation and substructure work.[1] The construction of the adjoining Council House began in November 1959 by Messrs Humphreys Ltd. Although financial problems raised concern over whether the tower building would be finished, the Civic Centre was completed in 1962.[3] The building was handed over to the council, having cost £1,600,000 to build, on 21 March 1962.[1][3] Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the building on 26 July 1962.[4]

By the 21st century, Plymouth City Council felt the building was becoming too expensive to maintain and inadequate for their needs. Plans to demolish the building were scrapped when the building became Grade II Listed in June 2007. The council then began looking at possible future uses for the building.[5]

In 2013, plans for the tower to become a hotel were announced, with the Akkeron Group set to purchase the building.[6] However, the purchase did not come to fruition and in 2015, the tower was eventually sold to developers Urban Splash for £1.[5] In 2014, council staff began to vacate the building, with the last of the staff having left in 2015.[7][8] The council has retained the adjacent Council House,[9] while the tower awaits redevelopment.[10] In January 2020 Urban Splash presented plans to convert the tower for residential use creating 144 apartments.[11]

Design

The Civic Centre is a fourteen-storey tower block, with a 'butterfly' roof canopy and an attached two-storey block to the north. The tower housed the offices of the various municipal departments. The top storey of the tower was originally the Rooftop Restaurant, which was open to the public and closed in 1975.[3] The adjoining two-storey building Council House has a number of committee rooms, a council chamber, reception room and the Lord Mayor's suite.[1] The members' entrance to the Council House contains a mural depicting local scenes painted by Mary Adshead in 1962.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Historic England. "Council House and former Civic Centre (Grade II) (1392038)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "Municipal Offices". Plymouth Data. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Plymouth, Civic Centre". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ↑ "Plymouth Civic Centre". Nicebuildings.com. 26 July 1962. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  5. 1 2 Rossiter, Keith (10 June 2016). "Why Plymouth's Civic Centre was sold for £1". Plymouth Herald. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  6. ↑ "Plymouth's Civic Centre 'to become hotel' - BBC News". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  7. ↑ "Award winning Urban Splash is now the owner of Plymouth's Civic Centre". Urbansplash.co.uk. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  8. ↑ "Plymouth civic centre building sold to developers - BBC News". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  9. ↑ "Urban Splash now own Plymouth Civic Centre". Plymouth Newsroom. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  10. ↑ "Plans to redevelop Plymouth's Civic Centre are approved". Plymouth Live. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  11. ↑ "Civic Centre plans to finally be given the go-ahead". Plymouth Live. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  12. ↑ "Civic Centre, Princess Street, Plymouth: mural by Mary Adshead in the members' entrance to the council house". Royal Institutes of British Architects. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
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