The circular hall was constructed of red brick with terra cotta ornamentation. In contrast, however, the dome at the top of the building - designed by Rowland Mason Ordish - was fashioned from steel. Records show the dome was first constructed in the city of Manchester, just to be sure it fit together properly, then disassembled and brought to London.
In March 1871, the hall was officially opened with a speech by Edward, the Prince of Wales, who stood in for the often stoic Victoria, who was too overcome with emotion to speak at the event. A concert followed the ceremony and, to everyone's surprise, it was immediately noticed that the hall had serious acoustic problems, including echoes that made it seem as if you were hearing each note twice. The problem was finally cured completely in 1969, nearly a century after the opening of Royal Albert Hall.