Ayr Town Hall, Category A listed municipal building in Ayr, Scotland.
Ayr Town Hall is a neoclassical municipal building in Scotland with a 277-foot steeple inspired by the Tower of the Winds in Athens. It contains a main assembly hall with 641 seats, a council chamber with 50 seats, and two committee rooms with 25 seats each.
The building was designed in 1830 by architect Thomas Hamilton and replaced an older tolbooth at Sandgate and New Bridge Street. Its completion marked a turning point in Ayr's civic infrastructure during the early industrial period.
The interior houses a concert organ installed in 1904 by Lewis & Co, which enables performances by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. This instrument shapes the musical life of the town to this day.
Visitors can explore the building and its various rooms while taking in the architecture, though access may vary depending on ongoing official activities. It helps to check in advance which areas are open, as this remains primarily a civic administration center.
A statue of Mahatma Gandhi, carved by sculptor Gautam Pal, has stood inside the building since September 2019. This sculpture was added to honor the historical connection between Ayr and Gandhi, who visited the town in 1931.
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