Until the early 19th century, corn merchants in the town traded in the open at stalls on the Cornhill. In 1793, some merchants relocated to The Rotunda, a building designed by George Gooding and modelled on the
Halle aux blés in Paris. However, in the around 1810,
Ipswich Borough Council decided to commission a purpose-built structure in the southeast corner of Cornhill. It was designed in the
neoclassical style, built in
ashlar stone at a cost of £33,000 and was completed in March 1812. It was originally open behind the façade, although a glass roof was added in 1849. In the late 1860s, Ipswich Borough Council decided to commission a more substantial structure: the site they selected was on the north side of King Street. The foundation stone for the new building was laid by
mayor, David Henry Booth, on 22 October 1880. It was designed by
Brightwen Binyon in the
Renaissance Revival style, built in ashlar stone at a cost of £25,000 and was officially opened by the then-mayor, Frederick Fish, on 26 July 1882. The use of the building as a corn exchange declined significantly in the wake of the
Great Depression of British Agriculture in the late 19th century. Instead, it became a public events venue: early speakers included the
President of the Board of Trade,
Joseph Chamberlain, in January 1885. Following a major programme of restoration works costing £800,000, the building was re-opened by
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester on 22 September 1975. The building hosted the
Antiques Roadshow in March 1986, and the
rock band,
Blur, in June 1991. It was also the venue for the political debate programme,
Question Time, in May 2013 and, again, in May 2016. ==See also==