Soon after the amalgamation of Kensington with Chelsea in the seventies the two old town halls were replaced with a joint civic centre, the current Kensington Town Hall in Hornton Street. Designed by architect Sir Basil Spence, the foundation stone was laid in 1973 and the building opened in 1977. As well as being the offices for the local council, there are spaces to hire within the town hall including the great hall which can seat 820 people theatre style, and the small hall on the first floor with capacity for 190.