Town hall of Calais, City hall in central Calais, France.
The Town Hall of Calais is an administrative building featuring a 72-meter-high tower in red brick and white limestone with Renaissance Revival and Flemish architectural elements. It stands at Place du Soldat-Inconnu and today houses municipal services and civic events.
Construction began in 1912 but was interrupted during World War I when German bombs damaged the unfinished structure in September 1917. Work resumed after the war and was completed in 1923.
Inside, stained glass windows show the 1558 liberation of Calais and a tapestry tells the story of six citizens from the Hundred Years War. These artworks remind visitors of pivotal moments in the city's past.
The town hall faces west onto the Place du Soldat Inconnu, with Rodin's Burghers of Calais standing in front of the facade. The belfry rises to the north of the main block, so the whole composition is best taken in from the square and the adjoining lawn. The building remains an active seat of the city council, so interior rooms are seen on guided visits only.
The belfry was designed in the shape of a flame and rises 72 metres, making it the tallest element of the building. It was added to the UNESCO Belfries of Belgium and France group in 2005, while the facades, roofs, hall of honour and first-floor ceremonial rooms were listed as monuments historiques in 2003.
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