Picture Post 72 - Adelaide Art Deco, The Capri Theatre

The Capri Theatre on Goodwood Road in Adelaide, South Australia stands out from the neighbouring buildings due to its size and a stunning Art Deco facade. Originally known as the New Star Theatre, it was completed in 1941 and opened on October 8th of that year with screenings of Florian starring Robert Young and Helen Gilbert as well as Doctor Kildare Goes Home starring Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore. The design was the work of architect Chris Smith who was responsible for many art deco buildings in Adelaide including the Port Adelaide Municipal Chambers, Hindmarsh Town Hall and a number of other official buildings.

Initially part of the Clifford Theatres Circuit, the cinema could originally seat 1472 patrons. In 1947, Greater Union bought out the Clifford Circuit including the New Star and in 1964 renamed it the New Curzon. Three years later Greater Union stripped out many of the original Art Deco features, reduced the seating capacity to 851 and changed the name again to the Capri Cinema. 

The Theatre Organ Society of Australia (TOSA) purchased the building in 1978, installed their Wurlitzer organ and amended the name to the Capri Theatre. TOSA managed to complete the loan repayments thanks in no small part to the film Crocodile Dundee which played to packed houses for almost a full year in 1986 enabling the organisation to own the building outright. A framed poster for the film is displayed in the lobby, acknowledging its importance to the Capri's story. 

Since then major works have been undertaken to restore the original colours and style to the exterior as well as original carpet designs and replica fireplace and mirrors on the upper level. The facade boasts a fabulous series of fins one of which carries the building's name in vertical lettering. This, together with the beautiful banding, sumptuous corner curve and occasional portholes make the Capri itself something of a showstopper.

The cinema also boasts one of the largest Wurlitzers in Australia. It is still in use including at regular nostalgia evenings when old films, newsreel and vintage advertisements are screened as well as at regular recitals of organ music. In addition to respecting and preserving the cinema's heritage, the Capri also has a commitment to the latest technology. Modern projection and sound equipment were fitted in 2012 with financial help from the State Government as well as Unley Council. There are now 782 seats, some of them branded as deluxe. This combination of old and new extends to the exterior mural which features scenes from Florian and classic Australian movies. The piece  was produced by artists Jake  Holmes and Joel van Moore and was completed last year.

The architect was an interesting character. Born in 1892, his father was a sailor and labourer and his mother is thought to have been illiterate. Smith himself trained as a master carpenter, married, had three children and enjoyed cycling, motoring and bowling. Despite having no formal architectural training, he appears in Sands and McDougall's Directory of South Australia for 1922 as an architect and structural engineer. In addition to the works already mentioned he built himself a stunning Art Deco residence in Prospect Road, Adelaide. The house retains many of its original features and may well have acted as a showroom for his clients as it includes so many deco references including the design, materials and finishes. He also remodelled the synagogue in Rundle Street in 1938, giving it the deco finish it retains until today although it ceased to be a religious building some years ago. Smith died in 1952, not quite 60 years of age,

The Capri was added to the South Australia State Heritage Register in 1990. The day to day running of the cinema is dependent on volunteers. The website has details of how to get involved.

More Marvelous Melbourne Art Deco

There are many claimants to the title of city with most art deco buildings. Melbourne must surely be a contender not only in sheer numbers but also in terms of variety and quality. I recently made a fourth visit to this lovely city and  spent some time looking at more examples of the style with my friends Robin and Robyn of the Art Deco and Modernism Society Over the course of two days they very kindly took me to see many buildings in different parts of the city. I have previously written about Melbourne's art deco homes. This time I have selected five public buildings.

Sun Theatre, Yarraville

The Sun Theatre in Yarraville was built in 1938 and designed by architects Cowper, Murphy and Appleford. Originally the cinema had a single screen and could seat 1050 patrons.  It stands out due to the rooftop sunburst which gives the theatre its name. The yellow the sunburst contrasts beautifully with the white painted elements of the facade where there are also examples of the art deco rule of three. The clean brick work adds a further contrast. Extremely luxurious, the cinema featured a sweet shop (now a book store), a booking office and perhaps uniquely, a pram room where babies could be left and supervised. The parents were issued with a number on arrival and if their baby cried, the number was flashed on to the screen! 

The usual story of decline during the 1960's led to the cinema closing and being converted to a short-lived Greek theatre before standing derelict for two decades. The building was acquired by new owners in 1995 and the transformation into today's success story began. The current theatre can seat 700 people across eight screens each named after closed Melbourne cinemas. Patrons can sit on club chairs around a coffee table and enjoy lots of leg room.

The renaissance of the theatre has contributed significantly to the regeneration of what was until a few years ago, a rundown and shabby part of the city. Today there are several good quality cafes and restaurants in the surrounding streets, a handful of interesting local shops - including one described as a "lamb boutique" rather than a butcher (!), whilst there is also an art deco pub just around the corner. What more could you want?

Rivoli Cinema, Hawthorn East

We also visited the beautifully restored Rivoli Cinema on Camberwell Road in Hawthorn East. Completed in 1940 and designed by Taylor and Soilleaux the cinema could originally seat over 1,600 customers. The first screening was of French Without Tears starring Ray Milland.

Like the Sun Theatre, it is another extremely striking building with its beautiful long red brick facade and vertical stylised lettering on the central fin. The interior is equally attractive with terrazzo flooring in the lobby, original mirrors and decorative elements and a wonderfully dramatic double staircase leading customers up to the main screen. Its just a pity that the staircase is covered in a brash highly patterned carpet which covers up the original flooring.

As with many cinemas, the Rivoli went through some very lean years from the sixties onwards but at the end of the 1990's, was subject to both extensive restoration and extension, increasing the number of screens to eight. The  multi-million dollar works were completed in 2000 and although the modern part is obvious it is at least reasonably sympathetic to the original,  streamline moderne exterior.  The restoration was carried out with extensive advice from the Art Deco and Modernism Society and from Heritage Victoria who added it to the state heritage register in 2005.

Rivoli Cinema, Hawthorn East

Detail, main staircase, Rivoli Cinema, Hawthorn East

McRobertson Girls' High School, South Melbourne

As well as cinemas and theatres, Melbourne has a number of other art deco public buildings. The MacRobertson Girls' High School on Kings Way, South Melbourne was designed by architect Norman H. Seabrook of Seabrook and Fildes and was completed in 1934. The architect had recently returned from the UK where he had been influenced by developments in European architecture, particularly the work of Willem Marinus Dudok in the Netherlands. Seabrook and his wife cycled 2000 miles (yes, two thousand) through the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany to see the new architecture for themselves. No internet in the 1930s. The school's design has references to the work of another great Dutch architect, H. P. Berlage particularly the lovely cream brickwork, similar to that of the Gemeentmuseum in Den Haag (although the school preceded it by one year).

The facade consists of interlocking forms of differing heights clad in those smooth cream bricks. The vermillion steel framed windows surrounded by glazed blue bricks bring colour and depth whilst the many discrete design features such as the clock tower, flagpole, a canopy over the entrance and deco motifs on the fall pipe add further character. The internal areas were designed to separate different functions - science, art and home economics as well as to enable smooth movement between different parts of the building. 

Although much more built up today, the school's location was originally open scrubland. Seabrook incorporated the open space into his plans, making use of native plants. Unlike other schools of its time, the McRobertson is not surrounded by a high wall to prevent views in and out and the students would have been able to benefit from direct access to these open spaces.

McRobertson Girls' High School, South Melbourne

Detail, McRobertson Girls' High School, South Melbourne

Former Mercy Hospital, East Melbourne

Melbourne can also boast a number of art deco hospitals.  The former Mercy Hospital in Grey Street, East Melbourne (now St. Vincent's Private Hospital) was designed by Arthur Stephenson of Stephenson and Meldrum. He had also spent time in Europe where he had been particularly influenced by the work of Finnish genius Alvar Alto having visited his Paimo Sanatorium. Completed in 1934 and sympathetically extended in 1939, the hospital has a ship-like appearance, one of the hallmarks of the art deco buildings of this period. It is believed that Stephenson took a modernist approach to designing the hospital in order to reflect the institution's scientific and medical principles. I love the front facing balconies with their  lovely white curves topped by red railings. In the early days of the hospital the balconies were used as part of the treatment regime, exposing patients to fresh air and sunlight. The more cynical might also say that they were a good place to have a sly cigarette too!

Beautiful balconies, former Mercy Hospital, East Melbourne

Former United Kingdom Hotel, Clifton Hill

Former United Kingdom Hotel, stained glass windows

And finally, from health and hospitals to diet. The former United Kingdom Hotel at Queen's Parade, Clifton Hill is now home to a branch of the worldwide burger chain McDonalds. The hotel sits on a triangular site which might partly explain its classic deco ocean liner appearance.  The exterior also features terra-cotta tiles, elegant balconies and stained glass windows. I really like those stained glass windows - pity about the net curtains behind them though! Of course, the exterior now bears a huge letter M as part of the Mcdonald's branding but this is preferable to losing the building completely which I understand was at one time a possibility. The United Kingdom Hotel was completed in 1937 and was the work of James Wardrop who was also responsible for the Shrine of Remembrance in St. Kilda Road. I have to confess I took a peek inside the former hotel and was surprised to notice salads and macaroons on offer as well as the usual burgers and fries. I resisted it all and had a cheese toastie and a hot chocolate. My toastie was tasty and the chocolate fine.

You can read more about Melbourne's art deco heritage in the revised edition of Robin Grow's book Melbourne Art Deco - a real bargain and full of great photographs too.

You might also like Sydney Art Deco

You can see more photographs of Australian art deco architecture here.

Sydney Art Deco

Sydney is known for its spectacular Opera House and Harbour Bridge, both of them UNESCO World Heritage sites, for its busy night life and wonderful beaches, including Bondi. The city is also home to a large collection of well maintained art deco buildings and I was recently able to see some of the best examples in the Potts Point neighborhood and in the city centre. This post, the first of two, will cover some of my favourites.

Transport House, York Street.

York Street, one of the city's main thoroughfares is home to several deco buildings including the distinctive, green terra-cotta clad Transport House at numbers 17-31. Completed in 1936 it was designed by architects H. E. Budden and Nicholas Mackey originally as the headquarters of the New South Wales Railways and with the name Railway House. Well received amongst the architectural profession, it received the Sulman Award in Australia in 1936 and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) medal in 1939. Opened soon after the completion of Sydney's underground system it was another example of the city's modernity. It was also the first building erected by an Australian public body to have air conditioning and benefitted from an escalator carrying employees straight down to the Wynyard metro station below. The green colour was selected to match that of the railway carriages, buses, ferries and trams, ensuring identification with the public transport system. Transport House has protected status as it is listed in the New South Wales State Heritage Register. The building was featured in the 2006 movie Superman Returns.

The architect, Henry Ebenezer Budden, was born in New South Wales and won several awards during his career. He designed several buildings in and around Sydney including the 1927 wing of the David Jones department store. He also served as War Chest Commissioner during the First World War for which he was later awarded the Order of the British Empire.

Transport House, York Street.

Potts Point is a short drive from the city centre but has a completely different, more relaxed atmosphere. Its main thoroughfare, McLeay Street, and the streets leading off it are lined with small cafes and restaurants, independent shops and numerous art deco buildings. Perhaps the most spectacular of these is the Metro Theatre at number 30 Orwell Street, built in 1939 and designed by Charles Bruce Dellit. Dellit also designed the Anzac War Memorial in Sydney's Hyde Park. Dominated by a large vertical tower, the facade also features blue "speed stripes" that contrast with the clean white exterior. The tower bears the theatre's name in vertical, stylized lettering, repeated horizontally above the main entrance whilst the stepped and recessed blue and white striped canopies also add interest to the facade.

Metro Theatre, Orwell Street

Metro Theatre, Orwell Street

Originally named the Minerva and designed as a live performance theatre, the art deco interior was designed by Dudley Ward and included a number of small shops, an orchestra pit, air conditioning and carpeting throughout as well as seating for 1006 customers. By 1948, struggling to attract an audience, the theatre was sold to the MGM group who re-launched it as a cinema in 1950. The Forsyth Saga was its first screening.The name was changed to the Metro in 1952 and the Australian premieres of several films took place there including Mary Poppins and Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf. In 1969, the cinema reverted to being a theatre and premiered the musical Hair but in 1979 it was sold again, stripped of its fittings and opened as a supermarket two years later. This was a short lived venture and the following year the Minerva/ Metro was sold again to become a soundstage and recording facility - its current function.

Ashdown, 96 Elizabeth Bay Road.

Ashdown, 96 Elizabeth Bay Road.

Elizabeth Bay Road has a large concentration of art deco and modernist buildings. Number 96, known as Ashdown was built in 1938 and was designed by architect Aaron Bolot. Born in the Crimea in 1900, he emigrated to Australia at a young age and studied architecture at the Central Technical College in Brisbane. He designed a number of cinemas across the country and served in the armed forces during the Second World War. The apartment block displays a number of features typical of modernist European architecture during this period including a curved bay, metal framed windows, flat roof and metal pipe railings whilst the main entrance to the side of the building is framed in exquisite glass bricks. The name Ashdown is displayed above the ground floor bay window in stylised lettering.

Emil Sodersten was one of the leading Australian artists of the 1930's. Born in Balmain in 1899, he studied at Sydney Technical College and went on to work in art deco, functionalist and moderne styles. He was responsible for a number of buildings in Potts Point and surrounding area including Marlborough Hall, a large apartment block at 4 Ward Avenue. Containing 62 apartments originally described as "bachelor flats", it was built to an L-shaped plan providing most of the apartments with a north-easterly aspect, some with a view of the harbour. The brick clad development also included a swimming pool and private gardens. I particularly like the glazed stairwell with its protruding windows and the canopy above the entrance echoed by a smaller version at the apex of the tower.

Marlborough Hall, 4 Ward Avenue.

20 McLeay Street.

Sodersten has also been credited with designing of the  apartment block at 20 Mcleay Street although this has not been confirmed. Dating from the late 1930's, it has an unusual facade with serrated bay windows cantilevered over the street. This is similar to another of Sodersten's Sydney buildings but also reminds me of an apartment block in Riga, Latvia. Details of the date and architects have been lost for several buildings from this period, including the show-stopping The Oxley apartment block at 12 Ward Avenue. It sports a fabulously decorative glazed  green, black and white coloured window the length of the stairwell and deco motifs under the window facades. It also has a stunning entry lobby with black and white "piano key" steps leading to the glazed entrance which also has several art deco motifs, some of which comply with the rule of three. There is a touch of the Great Gatsby to this apartment building - what a shame we don't know who designed it.

The Oxley, 12 Ward Street

The Oxley, 12 Ward Street.

Aderham Hall, 71 Elizabeth Bay Road.

Back on Elizabeth Bay Road, Aderham Hall at number 71 was one of the first art deco apartment blocks to be built in Sydney. Completed in 1934 and designed by architects Gordon McKinnon and sons, it is still owned and rented out by a single family.  Look up to see the sunburst motifs on the parapets of the rather austere facade. The block was only painted in recent years as one practice in the 1930's was to render buildings and leave them exposed to the elements. Mckinnon designed a number of hospitals, schools, churches and other public buildings across Australia.

My final selection for this first Sydney art deco post is Cahors, a large apartment building at 117 McLeay Street  built in 1940 and designed by architects Joseland and Gilling. There are deco motifs in relief at the upper levels and large blue glazed terracotta tiles around the entry. The ground floor is given over to retail, including a florist which adds a further burst of colour to the already attractive ground floor. 

Cahors, 117 McLeay Street.

Cahors, 117 McLeay Street.

Thanks to Robin Grow of the Art Deco and Modernism Society for providing lists of deco buildings in the city centre and in Potts Point as well as details for some of them. Look out for a second Sydney Art Deco post, coming soon.

In the meantime, you might also like Australian Art Deco - Treasures in Melbourne's Suburbs and Australian Art Deco -Glenelg and Port Adelaide. 

Picture Post 48 - Newspaper House, Melbourne

Melbourne has one of the largest and best preserved collections of art deco and modernist buildings in the world. This, together with its excellent cafes and restaurants, many theatres, galleries and museums makes it one of my favourite cities. I have visited Melbourne three times and plan to be there again next year when visiting relatives in Australia.

Although the best examples of art deco and modernism can be found in the city's many suburbs, there are some superb examples in the Central Business District (CBD). Newspaper House at 247-249 Collins Street was built in 1884, designed by architects Stephenson and Meldrum for the former Herald and Weekly Times newspaper. A little early for art deco you might think, but the building's facade was gloriously reshaped in 1932 when it was covered with a mosaic mural designed by Napier Waller. Designed to celebrate humanity's technological advances it shows various methods of transport and international communication with ships, planes and cars - remember this was  along time before the age of Facebook and twitter! The work was commissioned by the Murdoch family and designed at the suggestion of Theodore Fink, a politician, patron of the arts and one of the newspaper's directors. The mural is at first floor level and bears the text I'll put a girdle round about the earth -  a quote from Puck in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

It is affixed to slate panels connected to the brickwork with copper dowels and is designed in three sections divided by two windows. The mural is well preserved and its vibrant colours appear textured and to have depth. The detail carries on from the facade into the recesses that accommodate the windows. It is best viewed and photographed from the opposite side of the street. As in most big cities, people are too busy to look up and enjoy this beautiful piece of street art or don't know it's there or have forgotten about it. Each time I have photographed it, the mural has attracted a little crowd - first as people stop to see what the tourist is so interested in and then to admire Waller's work for themselves, either re-connecting with it or seeing it for the first time. 

Waller, who studied and lived in Melbourne designed two other murals in the city, one in Temple Court, Collins Street and another at Monash House, William Street. He was also responsible for the mosaics and stained glass windows in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. His achievements are particularly outstanding given that he lost his right arm when serving in France during the First World War. Determined to continue with his art he taught himself to draw with his left arm and continued working.

Newspaper House was sold to a Singaporean construction company in May 2015 for the staggering sum of $23 million (Australian dollars) - just over £11 million. I will be photographing it again in May 2016!

You might also like Picture Post 21 - Hungarian Art Nouveau - in Venice!

You can see more pictures of Melbourne's wonderful art deco buildings here.

Australian Art Deco - Melbourne City Centre

Melbourne's city centre, known as the CBD (central business district), is busy, bustling but relatively small. It is home to some world class galleries, museums, theatres and music venues. It is also home to a large number of well maintained, visually striking art deco and modernist buildings. The compact nature of the centre makes it possible to see several of them in one day.  In this post, I will explore some of my personal favourites, but there are many more to enjoy.

Bourke Street has many art deco buildings. Its one of those streets where you need to look up to see  the most interesting things as in some cases ground floors can appear fairly non descript due to their current use whilst the original features are still visible further up. One of the most striking is the former Norman's department store remodelled in 1935 to designs by Marcus Barlow. Outstanding for its decorative roofline and pink facade, it is now home to a branch of fast food chain Hungry Jacks but still retains an air of grandeur, guarding a prominent corner spot. Barlow was a bit of a trail blazer being the first to incorporate an escalator and air conditioning in his buildings. He also had a social conscience and was appointed to the Housing Investigation and Slum Abolition Board in 1936. His work is prominent in the city centre as he was also the architect for the landmark Century and Manchester Unity buildings.

Norman's Department Store, Bourke Street. Remodelled 1935, Marcus Barlow.

Yule House is tucked away in Little Collins Street behind the Royal Arcade, which is itself well worth a look and has a great coffee and cake stop at Caffe e Torta, an old style Italian cafe with great patisserie, snacks and atmosphere. The original building on the site was destroyed by fire in 1931 and the current Yule House, complete with fire proofing, was completed in 1932 to a design produced by Melbourne architects Oakley and Parkes who were also responsible for Kodak House in Collins Street. The House takes its name from one William Yule who owned the land from the early 1900's onwards. 

The building was one of Melbourne's earliest to exhibit streamline moderne features. The facade is covered in terracotta faience tiles with thin recessed strips of green tile defining the five floor levels. Large steel framed windows running the width of the building at each level maximise the light in this dark street and there is an asymmetrical parapet on the roof. Both the building's name and the year of its completion are displayed prominently on the facade in extremely elegant sans-serif typeface. Today there is retail space on the ground floor with offices above. Yule House was added to the Victorian State Heritage Register in 2010 at the suggestion of the Australian Art Deco and Modernism Society. It is a difficult building to photograph due to the very narrow street and the almost constant shadows. However, there is an upside to this, as the many detailed features are interesting to focus on. For fans of Dame Edna Everage, the alley to the side of Yule House has been named Dame Edna Place!

Yule House, Little Collins Street, 1932, Oakley and Parkes.

Yule House, Little Collins Street, 1932, Oakley and Parkes.

Alkira House in Queen Street was built in 1937 and was designed by James Wardrop. It was commissioned by soldier, lawyer, politician and businessman Harry Cohen and his mother Annie. Born in St. Kilda, Cohen was the first Jewish boy to attend St. Xavier's College, going on to be wounded twice during the First World War and to develop a successful business career before being elected to Parliament in 1929, representing Melbourne South. He twice served in a ministerial capacity before narrowly losing his seat in 1943.

But back to Alkira House. Despite being obscured by an extremely large tree (and therefore difficult to photograph), this is one of Melbourne's most attractive buildings from the 1930's. The facade features grey, green and black terracotta faience tiles as well as an imposing panel of glass bricks covering the stairway. It displays influences from the Netherlands and Germany where experimentation with glass, vitrolite and terracotta was taking place at the time the House was built. Despite the presence of the tree, Alkira House is an extremely flamboyant building with its contrasting colours, stylish lettering, a curved canopy above the ground floor and fins rolling back over the parapet. The facade carries a plaque noting the historical significance of the building and its inclusion on the State Heritage Register.

Alkira House, Queen Street. 1937, James Wardrop

Alkira House, Queen Street. 1937, James Wardrop

I love Mitchell House. Dominating the corner of Elizabeth and Lonsdale Streets, I can't resist those columnless curves at the corners, crisp white exterior and the gold lettering at the roofline, announcing the name of this glorious building. Designed by Harry Norris and built in 1936 as an office block it still has a commercial function with a number of small businesses based on the upper floors and retail on the ground floor.

The side entrance at 358 Lonsdale Street also carries stylish lettering, and is clad in green tiles. When the main door is open its possible to see the green and orange terrazzo floor in the lobby and even to pass through the automatic doors and see the original lift entrances. Norris was also responsible for the former Coles department store - now David Jones - in Bourke Street. I understand that at one time there was a plan to demolish this treasure but fortunately this seems to have been dropped. Phew.

Mitchell House, Elizabeth and Lonsdale Streets. 1936, Harry Norris.

Entrance, Mitchell House, Elizabeth and Lonsdale Streets. 1936, Harry Norris

Some of the city centre's buildings are particularly interesting for their details. The exquisite mosaic mural on the facade of Newspaper House in Collins Street is perhaps the best example of this. Designed by Napier Waller for the Stephenson and Meldrum designed building in 1933, it bears the legend "I'll put a girdle around the earth". Located at first floor level and reading from left to right, it displays technological advance. Divided by two windows, the mural has retained its vibrant colours - golds, reds and greens - and continues to draw admiration from passers-by more than 80 years after its inception. When pointing my camera upwards from the road I aroused the interest of a small group of shoppers who also stopped to look at Waller's work. The building was originally home to the Herald and Weekly Times newspaper. One Theodore Fink, a director of the newspaper suggested the theme and title of the mural.

The Australian Natives Association building, in Elizabeth Street, was completed in 1939 also has an interesting decorative facade. The central panel includes four green tiled columns and images of native Australian fauna - a kangaroo and an emu. The Association was formed in Melbourne in 1871to promote national awareness. Over several decades the Association campaigned on a number of issues including women's suffrage, minimum wage, Aboriginal welfare and soil and water conservation.

Mural, Newspaper House, Collins Street. 1933, Napier Waller.

Detail, Australian Natives Association building, Elizabeth Street. 1939, Marsh and Michaelson.

The Manchester Unity building at 220-226 Collins Street has been a Melbourne landmark since it was built in 1932. It was commissioned by the unusually named Manchester Unity Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a charity and friendly society as their new headquarters. Marcus Barlow who we met earlier was commissioned to design the building and took inspiration, in part, from the Chicago Tribune building of 1927.

Built in record time - less than one year and 50,000 pounds within budget at a total cost of 600,000 pounds it is an example of speed and efficiency rarely seen today. Fire proofed and constructed from concrete and steel, the building benefitted from ultra modern technology included lifts, an air humidifier and air cooling in the warm weather managed by a huge basement level water tank and several tons of ice. It also had its own generator able to power the building should the electricity supply fail. 40 tons of mother of pearly coloured glazed terracotta were used in construction as well as more than 40,000 panes of glass. 

There were 23 shops and 7 kiosks on the ground floor and a cafe and tearoom in the basement. Businesses that have made their home in the building over the years include florists, dance teachers, dressmakers, jewellers, watchmakers, furriers, milliners and medical practitioners of all types, as well as more exotic professions including private detectives and a banjo school. There are many decorative features, especially at ground floor level where a series of designs showing aspects of Australian life are sand blasted on to black marble panels and freezes. A number of stories, rumours and scandals have been attached to the Manchester Unity building over the years including tales of flashers, conmen and occasional suicides whilst in 1978 three jewellers were murdered on the eight floor during what appeared to be a gangland diamond robbery.

In 2005 an extensive condition survey was commissioned by the Committee of Management of the Owners Corporation and a great deal of restoration has taken place since then. The Manchester Unity continues to be a busy landmark building and a symbol of the city.

Manchester Unity Building, Collins Street. 1932, Marcus Barlow.

Detail, Manchester Unity Building, Collins Street. 1932, Marcus Barlow.

Ground floor lift entrance, Manchester Unity Building, Collins Street. 1932, Marcus Barlow.

You might also like Australian Art Deco - treasures in Melbourne's suburbs and Australian Art Deco - Glenelg and Port Adelaide. For more pictures of Melbourne's art deco buildings click here.

Australian Art Deco - treasures in Melbourne's suburbs

Melbourne has a huge collection of stunning art deco and modernist buildings. Some of the best can be found in the city's suburbs and on my recent visit, I was able to see several of them thanks to Robin Grow and Robyn Saalfeld of the Australian Art Deco and Modernism Society. Many of the art deco and modernist buildings state from the latter half of the 1930's and a period when Melbourne was beginning to recover from economic depression. The extent of residential development during this period, the quality of design and technological and social issues addressed in some of these buildings demonstrate a new confidence in the city and for me are evidence of the real age of "marvellous Melbourne".

Tuffnell Lodge, Garden Avenue, East Melbourne. I.G. Anderson, 1939-40.

Garden Avenue in East Melbourne is a short drive from the city centre. It contains a former guest house and a number of apartment blocks from the 1930's, all designed by I.G. Anderson which accounts for the unity of the design style, despite each building being unique. This cul-de-sac was part of a response to demand for well designed, functional homes at an affordable price for young white collar workers. It would be easy to write a whole post on Garden Avenue, but I have selected two buildings to focus on.

Tuffnell Lodge was jointly designed by Anderson and Frank Butt and built between 1939 and 1940.  A triangular site containing 12 flats, it emphasises style moderne features and has angled and stepped forms. I particularly like the stepped concrete band that recedes from the angular balcony at the corner of the building and the glazed, steel framed staircase tower. Tuffnell Lodge is extremely close to the railway line and so required additional concrete to reinforce the foundations.  

Technically, Quest is in Wellington Parade, but this spectacular apartment building, originally known as Glensborough and built in 1938, stands at the junction with Garden Avenue and is a key component of the development. At one stage it was also known as Islanders Place. This is because it was for a time the property of the Republic of Nauru and was used to accommodate Nauruans working or studying in Melbourne. Originally built as a guest house for young city workers it had a communal lounge, dining rooms, laundries, two 2-bedroom units and 47 single rooms. It must have been the classiest "hostel" in Australia! The curved steel framed stair window at the south-east corner is the most outstanding feature, and makes use of curved glass. Quest was refurbished in 2006 in order to be used as serviced apartments.

Quest, Wellington Parade, East Melbourne. I.G. Anderson, 1938.

Arthur W. Plaisted was a prolific architect during the inter-war years, designing residential properties, shops, offices, garages and churches in a variety of styles. Park Towers, a three storey block of 18 apartments in Adams Street, South Yarra is one of his most significant works. Built in 1938 it consists of two centrally facing staggered blocks maximising street views and enabling a driveway leading to an open court at the rear as well as drive-ins to the basement garages that can accommodate 22 cars. There are deliciously curved balconies (although some have been enclosed) whilst the blocks are entered through twin doorways with plate glass windows, surrounded by polished hardwood frames and featuring green glazed tiles. Originally, each flat had a large bedroom, modern kitchen and dining area with telephones and disposal chutes leading to hidden incinerators. Central refrigeration and heating was also provided. Luxury indeed.

St. Kilda is a popular seaside suburb with a long history of attracting visitors to its theatres, shops, cafes and famous Luna Park. It is also home to several great art deco buildings. One of my favourites is Woy Woy on Marine Parade. Designed by Geoffrey Mewton and built in 1935-6, it is a simple three storey modernist building. Woy Woy is devoid of ornament and shows influences picked up by Mewton on his European travels, for example those of Mies van der Rohe in the Weissenhof Seidlung development in Stuttgart. I like the sheltered entrance and of course, the lettering used to display the building's name over the entrance lobby. The lettering is the only decorative element on this most austere building. The block is named for a coastal town in New South Wales.

Woy Woy, Marine Parade, St. Kilda. Geoffrey Mewton, 1935-6.

The Elwood suburb was named after Quaker Thomas Ellwood who had a passion for English poetry which explains why so many of the streets in the area are named after poets. In the second decade of the twentieth century, a significant amount of swampland was reclaimed there, which made it possible for rapid development to take place in the 1920's and 1930's, leaving a significant collection of apartments in our favourite style. 

Windermere at 49 Broadway is one of Melbourne's (and the world's?) best examples of Streamline Moderne design for residential buildings. It is a work of art and which has prompted my friend, architectural historian Valentin Mandache to refer to it as "dreamline" and I completely agree with him. Designed by Melbourne architect James Esmond Dorney, it was built in 1936 for a Mrs E.B. Mitchell. Dorney was  a leading architect in the style and was responsible for a number of apartment buildings in Elwood. Windermere is a two storey apartment block with three flats on each floor. Although the finish is primarily render, there are some interesting exposed brick details between the windows on both floors. The facade of the building is breath taking with its semi-circular projecting balcony, cylinder above the roofline and asymmetrical design. The building name is discretely lettered at ground floor level and there is a flat roof with a sun deck. A thing of great beauty, I could have happily gazed at Windermere for a very long time!  

Windermere, Broadway, Elwood. James Esmond Dorney, 1936, 

Windermere is a real favourite of mine, but has a rival in Awatea, a large house in Redcourt Avenue, Armadale. Built in 1938 and designed by R. and M. King, Awatea is a Maori word meaning bright pathway. Built for an hotelier, the original design included a ballroom on the ground floor and a billiard room above the double garage at the rear of the building. Brick rendered, the facade features lines of vermillion-orange tiles and dark red bricks that attract the viewer's attention. There is also a stylised metal front door and a futuristic letterbox that could be mistaken for a spaceship! 

Mon Reve is just around the corner from Redcourt Avenue in Hampden Road. Designed by  our friend, Melbourne architect, I. G. Anderson and built in 1937, this two storey, flat roofed, steel reinforced concrete house is another Melbourne show stopper and would not look out of place in Miami. The exterior includes a stair tower with narrow windows bearing geometric designs, a series of balconies and the pole supported entrance canopy, whilst the original interior included a ballroom (another one!) and then ultra-modern items including an incinerator, underground electrical wiring and a bomb proof room beneath the tower. Clearly the owners were ready for anything from parties to an air raid! Mon Reve suffered significant unsympathetic change over several years before being restored to its original state by the current owner.

Awatea, Redcourt Avenue, Armadale. R. and M. King, 1938.

Mon Reve, Hampden Road, Armadale. I.G. Anderson, 1937.

Melbourne also boasts a large number of non-residential buildings in the art deco and modernist styles. The Orrong Hotel on the corner of High Street and Orrong Road in Armadale was built in 1940 to the designs of architect James Wardrop. It's prominent corner location shows off its wonderful streamline styling, dominated by a stepped vertical fin. The signage on the upper level of the fin and the red stripe at the top of the lowest level add a splash of colour to this otherwise monotone building. Robin told me that the hotel has a long horse shoe-shaped bar which was designed to deal with the 6 pm panic that took place in Australian bars during the years that this was "drinking-up time". Wardrop worked on a number of projects with Phillip Hudson and together they designed the Melbourne War Memorial, completed in 1923. He was also responsible for the stunning Alkira House in the city centre, which I will write about separately.

Orrong Hotel, High Street and Orrong Road, Armadale. James Wardrop, 1940.

There are also a number of art deco sports facilities in Melbourne. My tour of the suburbs included a visit to the original home of Hawthorn, the Aussie Rules football club at Glenferrie Oval. Designed by Stuart Calder, it opened in 1938 on an extremely tight site that meant that the crowd were very close to the players - and to the referee who I understand was occasionally the recipient of discarded beer cans thrown by disgruntled fans! Its hard to believe that in 1965, almost 37,000 people crowded into the stadium to see Hawthorn play Carlton. 

The stand is full of delicious curves and lines, glass bricks and portholes that add to the nautical appearance of the stand. Hawthorn has a larger, more modern stadium these days, but Glenferrie Oval is a thing of great beauty and an amazing example of great architecture on a challenging site. Like Wardrop, Calder had a good pedigree in the art deco/ modernist world having had a hand in the design of the former McPherson's building in Collins Street in the City Centre.

Former Hawthorn Football Club, Glenferrie Oval, Hawthorn. Stuart Calder, 1938.

It is only possible to give a few examples of Melbourne's wealth of art deco and modernist buildings here, but there are two excellent books that are well worth purchasing. A new edition of Melbourne Art Deco by Robin Grow is about to be published so is an absolute must buy for art deco fans (and I will post details on this blog as soon as it is available), whilst A Spirt of Progress by Patrick van Daele and Roy Lumby is a more general survey of the style in Australia.

More posts coming soon, but in the meantime you might also like Australian art deco - Glenelg and Port Adelaide