Designed by William H Crossland and opened in 1871, Rochdale Town Hall stands today as one of the UK’s most significant 19th-century buildings, with its dramatic Gothic exterior and jewel-like interior. Over 150 years since its opening, Rochdale Town Hall has been restored following a programme of meticulous conservation of historic fabric combined with bold interventions to improve physical and intellectual access.
The inaugural RIBA award celebrates historic buildings and places that have been creatively and sensitively restored to conserve them, manage change around them, enhance their sustainability or social accessibility. The transformation of the Town Hall is one of just four projects shortlisted.
In the 2010s the building was unfit for purpose and closed to the public. In 2021, Rochdale Borough Council appointed DIA to lead a design team to repair and preserve the Grade I-listed fabric, enhance physical and intellectual accessibility, modernise infrastructure, and create flexible spaces for events – all while reducing carbon emissions. The project was funded by Rochdale Borough Council with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Salix and the Towns Fund.
Our design approach was informed by extensive research into the building’s significance and condition, alongside a public engagement process.
Following this, the external envelope was repaired, and the Great Hall’s intricate ceiling panels, timber hammer beams, and stencilled decoration were conserved using innovative techniques. Traditional crafts were combined with modern technology, including 3D laser scanning to facilitate precise installation of new interventions. Bold but reversible additions – a glazed Porte Cochère, external terrace, and a glazed lift within the Alfred Waterhouse-designed clocktower – improve circulation and accessibility.
Energy-efficient systems, roof insulation, and air-source heat pumps reduce carbon emissions by approximately 190 tonnes annually. The project also created over 1,000 volunteer, training and job opportunities, and a new on-site heritage skills studio aims to share heritage skills with the community.
The revitalisation has transformed Rochdale Town Hall into a community asset which celebrates the building’s extraordinary design and craftsmanship while fully opening it up for public use.
“Rochdale Town Hall has been repositioned as a shared civic asset and community hub – its architectural significance reinforced, its accessibility made explicit, and its role within the life of the town re-established.” – Pablo Iglesias, RIBA North West Jury Chair