Plan Gallery

Elevation to the Harbour (image: City Sydney Archives, CRS 141/P20) Click here to see a larger version of this photo Size: 214 KB

The Sydney Town Hall was designed and planned by a variety of architects and engineers each bringing their own vision to the construction of the building. The Plan Gallery illustrates the design elements and practicalities that were considered for every aspect of the exterior and the interior of the building, from the turrets on the roof to the tiling in the corridors.

Few plans exist that show the first stage of construction. Most plans of the Town Hall relate to the Main Hall and subsequent alterations. Many of the plans would have been working documents, executed on fragile tracing paper that has not survived. An alternative explanation for lack of early plans lies in the turbulent years of early construction. Edward Bell, the City Engineer, alleged that the original designer J. H. Willson, enraged by what he interpreted as a theft of his own work, broke into Bell’s office and stole a number of the plans, and scrawled his name across others.

Despite these losses, the number of plans available to researchers of the Town Hall runs into the hundreds. Samples of these are provided in the Plan Gallery. Many of the plans are water coloured and are artworks in their own right.

The plans show gradual changes to the Town Hall over time (both in architectural design and uses), whilst also highlighting the many people who worked on the design and construction of the building. The Elevations & Floor Plans section gives the big picture, illustrating the grand scale of the Town Hall and its many uses. The Internals & Details section focuses in on specific elements within the Town Hall.