The Town Hall (French: Hôtel de Ville, Dutch: Stadhuis) of Brussels, Belgium, stands on that city's famous Grand Place.

The oldest part of the present Town Hall is its east wing (to the left, when facing the front). This wing, together with a small belfry, was built from 1402 to 1420 under direction of Jacob van Thienen, and future additions were not originally foreseen. However, the admission of the craft guilds into the traditionally patrician city government probably spurred interest in expanding the building. A second, shorter wing was completed within five years of Charles the Bold laying its first stone in 1444.

The 96-meter-high tower in Brabantine Gothic style emerged from the plans of Jan van Ruysbroek, the court architect of Philip the Good. By 1455 this tower had replaced the older belfry. Above the roof of the Town Hall, the square tower body narrows to a lavishly pinnacled octagonal openwork. Atop the spire stands a 5-meter-high gilt metal statue of the archangel Michael, patron saint of Brussels, slaying a dragon or devil. The tower, its front archway and the main building facade are conspicuously off-center relative to one another. According to legend, the architect upon discovering this "error" leapt to his death from the tower. More likely, the asymmetry of the Town Hall was an accepted consequence of the scattered construction history and space constraints.

Vilnius Town Hall (Lithuanian: Vilniaus rotušė) is a historical town hall in the square of the same name in the Old Town of Vilnius, Lithuania.

The town hall in Vilnius was first time mentioned in 1432. Initially it was a Gothic style building, reconstructed many times. The palace of Vilnius Town Hall was rebuilt in neoclassical style according to the design by Laurynas Gucevičius in 1799. It has remained unchanged since then.

Nowadays it is used for representational purposes as well as during the visits of foreign state officials and rulers, including George Walker Bush and Queen Elisabeth II.

The Town Hall Square (Lithuanian: Rotušės aikštė) at the end of the Pilies Street is a traditional centre of trade and events in Vilnius. Major annual fairs, such as Kaziukas Fair, are held in this square, the main Christmas tree is decorated here, various concerts and other attractions are organised as well as celebrations of the important dates of the state.

The Oslo City Hall houses the City Council, City administration, and art studios and galleries. The construction started in 1931, but was paused by the outbreak of World War II, before the official inauguration in 1950. Its characteristic architecture, artworks, and the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony makes it one of Oslo's most famous buildings. It was designed by Arnstein Arneberg and Magnus Poulsson.

It is situated in Pipervika in central downtown Oslo. The area was completely renovated and rebuilt to make room for the new City Hall, back in the late 1920's.

[Source: Wikipedia]

Send by: leon65

The Red Town Hall (German: Rotes Rathaus) on Rathausstrasse in the borough of Mitte, is the town hall of Berlin. It is the home to the governing mayor and the government of the state of Berlin. The name of the landmark building dates from the facade design with red clinker bricks .

The town hall was built between 1861 and 1869 in the style of the north Italian High Renaissance by Hermann Friedrich Wäsemann. The architecture of the tower is reminiscent of the cathedral's tower of Laon in France. It replaced more, partial buildings dating from the Middle Ages by a whole street block.

The building was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in World War II. After its reconstruction during the 1950s to the original plans it served as the town hall of East Berlin, while the Rathaus Schöneberg was domicile of the West Berlin Senate. After German reunification the unified administration of Berlin officially moved back in 1991.

Tallest Building in Los Angeles from 1928-1964.

Los Angeles City Hall is the center of government in the city of Los Angeles, California. It is located in the Civic Center district of Downtown Los Angeles in the city block bordered by Main, Temple, 1st, and Spring Streets.

The building was designed by John Parkinson and Albert C. Martin, and completed in 1928. It has 32 floors and stands at 454 feet high. Due to seismic concerns, prior to the 1960s no building in Los Angeles was permitted to be taller than City Hall; therefore, from its completion in 1928 to 1964, it was the tallest building in Los Angeles. The building's distinctive top portion was based on the Mausoleum of Maussollos.

[Source: Wikipedia]

Send by: Anaheim