About City Hall
City hall houses all of a city's representatives such as city council, city departments and the mayor. City hall operates as the heart of the city providing its citizens with information on city services, municipalities or as a welcome center. In some cities it acts as a social venue. What do you know about your city hall?
- London City Hall: In many cities, the city hall will stand out architecturally compared to the other buildings in the city. Many of these buildings have histories that date back hundreds of years. For example, in London the Guildhall, which is London's city hall, was built as a medieval castle. Parts of the building date back as far as the 1400's. According to local legend, two giants named Gog and Magog were defeated by Brutus of Troy and chained to Guildhall. Statues of the giants have appeared on the building for many years.
- Toronto City Hall: Some city halls serve as icons that distinguish the city. In Toronto, Ontario, Canada their city hall was built in the 1800's, but remodeled in 1965. It is a popular icon that is a well-recognized building throughout the world. The building's architecture consists of a rectangular base that curves. At the end of each building is a tower. A saucer-shaped building separates the towers. When flying over the building, it appears as a giant eye. The building's nickname is "The Eye of the Government." The building has appeared in the movies Tuxedo and Resident Evil: Apocalypse.
- Philadelphia City Hall: From 1901-1908 Philadelphia's city hall was known as the world's tallest building. At 538 feet it is still known as the world's second tallest masonry building. Completed in 1901 with 700 rooms, it is the largest city building in the United States. Recently it was named as a National Historic Landmark.
- Los Angeles City Hall: Los Angeles City Hall is constructed from concrete and bits of sand that came from each of the 58 counties in California. The tower's shape was based on the shape of the Mausoleum of Masolus. It has appeared in the television the Adventures of Superman, Perry Mason and Dragnet. It has also been featured in video games such as Midnight Club: Los Angeles and GTA: San Andreas.