Hong Kong City Hall

              Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong’s first purpose-built cultural complex, opened in 1962 and has served as a prime performance venue for a variety of cultural and arts activities. Its facilities include the Concert Hall, the Theatre and the Exhibition Hall and the city’s first public library. 

With a seating capacity of 1,434, the Concert Hall has excellent acoustics and is suitable for a wide range of performances including symphonies, chamber music, recitals, jazz, operas, theatre and Chinese opera. The unique design of the 463-seat Theatre is ideal for drama and stage productions of a smaller scale.

More than 10,000 local and overseas arts troupes have performed at City Hall since its inauguration, including the New York Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Stuttgart Ballet, the Peking Opera Troupe of Beijing, Yo-Yo Ma and Vladimir Ashkenazy.

The building itself also set a trend in Hong Kong, making this cultural complex a landmark of the city’s 1960s architecture. It is listed as a heritage site.

              Hong Kong City Hall (Chinese: 香港大會堂) is a building located at Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.

Since Hong Kong is a "Special Administrative Region" and not a normal Chinese city, there is no mayor or city council; therefore, the City Hall does not hold the offices of a city government, unlike most city halls around the world. Instead, it is a complex providing municipal services, including performing venues and libraries.

             The City Hall is managed by the Government's Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The Urban Council managed the City Hall (through the Urban Services Department) and held its meetings there prior to its dissolution in December 1999. Prior to its dissolution the UrbCo served as the municipal council for Hong Kong Island and Kowloon (including New Kowloon). The UrbCo had its meeting chamber in the Low Block of the City Hall.

Design and function

The City Hall was built on Government land, and funds were raised for its construction, which started in 1866, from public subscriptions. The two-storey hall was designed by M^e A. Hermite, a French architect, in a Renaissance style, with cupolae, colonnades and arches. The facilities available for use by the local community included a theatre, library, museum and assembly rooms.^[1] A fountain, sponsored by Dent & Co. was located at the front (south side) of the Hall. The building was inaugurated by HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh on 28 June 1869 on his visit to the colony.

The land was acquired by the Hong Kong Bank in 1933 for its third generation headquarters, so that the western part of City Hall was pulled down. The remaining part was demolished in 1947 to make way for the Bank of China Building.

Summary of facilities

The complex has two buildings and a garden.
The High Block, a 12-storey building, is in the south-western end and houses a number of government facilities, including:

• City Hall Public Library, an eight-storey facility, which in the past served as the central library of Hong Kong (on the 9th – 11th floors)
• Exhibition Gallery, 260 square feet (24 m²).
• Recital Hall with 111-seats.
• Committee Rooms: two 40-seat committee rooms (on the 7th floor)
• Marriage Registry (on the 1st floor)
• Fast food restaurant, managed by Maxim's Catering: MX

The 3-storey Low Block is at the eastern end, with the following facilities:

• Concert Hall, with 1,434 seats and 60 standees at the mezzanine level.
• Restaurants and a cafe, managed by Maxim's Catering: continental (Deli and Wine), Chinese (City Hall Maxim's Palace) and European (City Hall Maxim's Café) cuisines
• The URBTIX Box Office
• Exhibition Hall, 590-square metres.
• Theatre with 463 seats.
• Performing Arts Shop
• an enquiry counter 

Address:

5 Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong Island

Tel;  +852 2921 2840

Website:  www.cityhall.gov.hk

source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_City_Hal