Lys Kernow

Lys Kernow, known as New County Hall between 1966 and 2009, is a municipal facility at Treyew Road in Truro, Cornwall. Dalvenie House, which is at the north end of the site, is retained for use as the county register office.^[1] The building, which serves as the headquarters of Cornwall Council, is a Grade II listed building.^[2]

Lys Kernow
Lys Kernow in 2023
Location	Truro, Cornwall
Coordinates	50°15′36″N 5°04′09″W / 50.2600°N 5.0692°W / 50.2600; -5.0692
Built	1966
Architect	Francis Kenneth Hicklin and Alan Groves
Architectural style(s)	Brutalist style
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated	24 April 1998
Reference no.	1323700
Location of Lys Kernow in Cornwall

History

During the first half of the 20th century Cornwall County Council held its meetings at the Old County Hall at Station Road in Truro.^[3] After deciding that the Old County Hall was inadequate for their needs,^[4] council leaders decided to procure a new purpose-built building: the site selected had been occupied by the grounds of a private house known as Dalvenie House, as well as some surrounding fields.^[5]

The new building was designed by the County Architect, Francis Kenneth Hicklin, and his successor, Alan Groves, in the Brutalist style^[6] and was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 14 July 1966.^[7] The design involved a three-storey square concrete-framed structure with circa 50 bays on each side; the bays contained a window on each floor flanked by concrete slabs.^[2] Internally, the principal room was the council chamber which was on the first floor and was cantilevered out of the main building on the east side.^[2][8] There was a courtyard, landscaped by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, in the centre of the building; a sculpture by Barbara Hepworth, known as "Rock form, Porthcurno", was unveiled in the courtyard garden when the building opened.^[9]

Following the abolition of Cornwall County Council in April 2009,^[10] the building became the headquarters of the new unitary authority, Cornwall Council.^[11] This was followed by an extensive programme of refurbishment works, to a design by Poynton Bradbury Wynter Cole of St Ives, which was completed in 2013.^[12][13]

The building contains an extensive collection of modern art including a painting by the Cornish fisherman and artist, Alfred Wallis, depicting the harbour entrance at Penzance.^[14][15]

References

•  Cornwall portal

1. "Cornwall Register Office". Retrieved 26 October 2020.
2. Historic England. "New County Hall including terrace pool surrounds and bridge to courtyard (1323700)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
3. "Debating chamber restaurant to feature in former Cornwall Council HQ hotel". Big Hospitality. 15 July 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
4. "Truro's secrets revealed but only if you look up". Cornwall Live. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
5. "Ordnance Survey Map". 1933. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
6. "County Hall, Truro". RIBA. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
7. "County Hall open day". 28 November 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
8. "First meeting of full Cornwall Council since lockdown". Cornish Staff. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
9. "Rock form, Porthcurno". Barbara Hepworth. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
10. "The Cornwall (Structural Change) Order 2008" (PDF). Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
11. "Cornwall Council, New County Hall". The List. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
12. "Cornwall Council plans £12m office refurbishment". BBC. 13 January 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
13. "Cornwall Council Office Rationalisation Programme" (PDF). Adaptation and Resilience in the Context of Change (ARCC). Retrieved 27 October 2020.
14. Wallis, Alfred. "Penzance Harbour Entrance". Art UK. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
15. "Private and public collections". The Guardian. 5 April 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2020.