Following the implementation of re-organisation associated with the Local Government Act 1972, the new Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council gained enhanced powers and decided to commission a modern facility to replace the old Town Hall on the opposite side of North Street.[1] The site chosen for the new building was previously occupied by the old Wholesale Market which was demolished in May 1973.[2] The statue of Lady Wulfruna by the sculptor, Sir Charles Wheeler, was erected on the site, to commemorate the centenary of the founding of the newspaper the Express & Star, in 1974.[3]
The new building, which was designed by Clifford Culpin & Partners in the Postmodern style and built by Taylor Woodrow Construction, was completed in 1978.[4] It was officially opened by the Prime Minister James Callaghan on 24 February 1979.[5][6] The design, which involved a stepped profile for the building and located it on a large piazza, has similarities with the Panch Mahal in Fatehpur Sikri.[7] It received a Civic Trust Award in 1979.[7]
Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh visited the civic centre and met with civic leaders on 24 June 1994 and signed the visitors' book before departing for a tour of the new Molineux Stadium.[2][8] Environmental works to improve the open area between the civic centre and St Peter's Collegiate Church were carried out with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund between 1996 and 2004.[9]
A substantial programme of restoration works for the civic centre and its car park, to a design by Associated Architects, was carried out by Speller Metcalfe at a cost of £22 million and completed in 2018.[10][11] The restoration work involved changes to the interior layout to create an open-plan environment: it also included creation of a new customer service centre on the ground floor.[12]
