Carlisle Civic Centre, Modernist town hall in Rickergate, Carlisle, England
Carlisle Civic Centre is a modernist town hall in Rickergate comprising an 11-story office tower connected to a two-story civic suite featuring an octagonal council chamber elevated on stilts. The building houses the administrative functions and meeting spaces for local government operations.
Construction began in 1964 to replace the previous town hall and consolidate the city's government departments into one location. The project represented post-war modernization efforts to centralize local administration.
The council chamber displays a large back-lit mural by Trewin Copplestone from 1965 that depicts local scenes and shapes the interior experience. This artwork connects the administrative center to Carlisle's identity and heritage.
The building is accessible to visitors during standard opening hours and is conveniently located in the city center. Most interior spaces can be explored, though some areas may be restricted to official business.
The building employed Storiform formwork techniques during construction, combining reinforced concrete with mosaic cladding and precast aggregate panels. This method was innovative for the period and shows the experimental approach of post-war architecture.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
