Conversely, cities that have subdivisions with their own councils may have borough halls. Municipal officers collectively city government." Ĭounty Council administrations in parts of England and Wales generally operate from a base in a building called, by analogy, a " county hall" or "shire hall". city hall: "(The name of) the chief administrative building or offices of a municipal government.By metonymy: the government or administration of a town the town authorities." (in early use also) a large hall used for such purposes within a larger building or set of buildings. town hall: "A building used for the administration of local government, the holding of court sessions, public meetings, entertainments, etc.The Oxford English Dictionary sums up the generic terms: City Hall in London, opened in 2002, is an exceptional case, being the seat not of a conventional municipal authority, but of a regional strategic authority. City Hall in Dublin, Ireland, is another example. The term is also sometimes (but more rarely) used as a name in Commonwealth countries: for example, for the City Halls of Brisbane in Australia, and of Cardiff, Norwich and Bristol in the UK. This is the case in North America, where a distinction is made between city halls and town halls. People in some regions use the term "city hall" to designate the council offices of a municipality of city status. This is often the case in the United Kingdom (examples being Manchester Town Hall and Liverpool Town Hall), Australia ( Sydney Town Hall), New Zealand, and elsewhere. In Commonwealth countries, the term "town hall" may be used even in a city. City hall buildings may also serve as cultural icons that symbolize their cities. Īs symbols of local government, city and town halls have distinctive architecture, and the buildings may have great historical significance – for example the Guildhall, London. In some European countries, the town hall is the venue for the declaration of Christmas Peace, such as Turku and Porvoo in Finland and Tartu in Estonia. Modern town halls or "civic centres" are often designed with a great variety and flexibility of purpose in mind. These may include art shows, stage performances, exhibits and festivals. In many cases, "town halls" serve not only as buildings for government functions, but also have facilities for various civic and cultural activities. The local government may endeavor to use the building to promote and enhance the quality of life of the community. The terms "council chambers", "municipal building" or variants may be used locally in preference to "town hall" if no such large hall is present within the building. This large chamber, the "town hall" (and its later variant "city hall") has become synonymous with the whole building, and with the administrative body housed in it. The hall may be used for council meetings and other significant events. It also usually functions as the base of the mayor of a city, town, borough, county or shire, and of the executive arm of the municipality (if one exists distinctly from the council).īy convention, until the middle of the 19th century, a single large open chamber (or "hall") formed an integral part of the building housing the council. It usually houses the city or town council, its associated departments, and their employees. In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. Stockholm City Hall, where the Nobel Banquet takes place on 10 December each year.
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