HistoryIn 1889, the Common Council wanted a new city hall, with the city government being moved around to rented room after rented room and with fires having destroyed past buildings. The Common Council approved the construction in 1890, and in 1891 a resolution was made to have a design contest for the new city hall. There were 11 entries, with many different styles. Henry C. Koch's Flemish renaissance building won the competition. The building was finished in 1895, using eight million bricks, weighing 41,000 tons, with 47,000 square feet of marble and mosaic flooring, and 107,000 square feet of office space. The building was the second tallest building in America at the time when it was finished. The named the bell tower after one of Milwaukee's founders Solomon Juneau. In 1929, a fire ruined parts of the city hall. The hall was renovated after the fire and repaired to the original blue print. The building also underwent renovations in 1973-1974, 1974, 1978, 1995, and 2005-2008. Today's city hall has had hundred of thousands of its brick replaced, repairing sandstone, improved 1,900 windows, and replacing the cooper on parts of the roof.
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Flemish Renaissance
Flemish renaissance is one of the architectural styles in the category of renaissance revival. It's distinguished by its ability to prefect the management of light and shade. By using the colors to their advantage they were able to do this. Like other revival architecture it uses pediments above windows and doors. Another characteristic of Flemish renaissance is high gables. Castles have been designed using Flemish renaissance style.