City hall
|
|
- For the 1996 film see City Hall (film)
Lockhart,_Alabama_post_office.jpg
A city hall or town hall is the headquarters of a city's (or town's) administration. The usual term in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand is "town hall" or "guildhall"; London's City Hall is an exception. Another exception is that Birmingham Town Hall is a concert hall; the building which houses the city's administration is called the Council House. Both "town hall" and "city hall" are used in North America, depending on the size of municipality.
As important government buildings, many city halls are known for their distinctive architecture.
The expression "city hall" can be used by metonymy for municipal government or for government in general, as in "You can't fight city hall."
The expression "town hall" has more friendly connotations, often suggesting the town meeting form of government.
See also
da:Rådhus de:Rathaus nl:Gemeentehuis pl:Ratusz pt:Câmara Municipal