Victor Horsley Chambers, 12 Collins Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
Archives
Total copies: 1
Title:
Victor Horsley Chambers, 12 Collins Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 102171
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
Part of:
Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
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Period: Inter-WarConstruction date: 1920-1922Architect: Blackett & ForsterNotable features: Stone facing. Relates to buildings on east.ASSOCIATED RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER:.GRAEME BUTLER 1985- MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistoryVictor Horsley of Horsley &. Evans, costume designers of 240 Bourke Street, appears to have formed Victor Horsley Chambers Pty Ltd for the erection of this building prior to acquiring the site c1919 and seeking a building permit late in 1920. Achieving completion by 1922, the company retained ownership until 1935 when the Manchester Unity Fire Insurance Co. took a further 35 year tenure on the building. Meanwhile the tenants were almost solely medical and dental practitioners, including Victor Hurley, Kingsley Norris and Reginald Webster, of the former group, and Kenneth Russell and Walter Morton of the latter. Of the architects, Blackett &. Forster, it is said that Hugh Craig was the project designer and junior partner. Craig was greatly respected by proto Modernist Geoffrey Mewton for his sensitivity and devotion to the Colonial Georgian Revival (now popularly associated with Hardy Wilson), to be further exemplified by the award winning Francis House. The firm's principal, W A M Blackett, was then deeply engaged in local and national affairs of his profession and the teaching of its art.DescriptionIn the Georgian Revival manner, the sandstone base and upper sand-finished render follow established classical precents although the design appears to have been more Georgianised, in the building stage, after an initial more French Beaux Art influenced design. Careful attention to the details (metal, stone and cement) and fenestration show great finesse and whether, for instance, the ground floor's implied arcade, convoluted arches and fine fanlights were inspired by Greenway's St. James north elevation or the bracketted window hoods from Verge's Elizabeth Bay House or the glazed door-pair mullions from the Education Office, Bridge Street, Sydney, is unknown but probable in principle.Paralleling with the interest in historicism amongst the architectural profession of the 1920s was the concern for context, eventually leading to the award of a Street Architecture Medal. In contrast to the atypical Edwardian Baroque of Chanonry, Victor Horsley Chambers marks a deliberate attempt to harmonise with the classical revival Victoriana then abounding in Collins Street east.IntegrityGenerally externally original.Streetscape(See above)SignificanceOf the important classical revival group 2 - 6, 12 Collins Street, Victor Horsley was the first to show good architectural manners towards the only remnant of the 19th century medical presence (8 Collins Street, qv) and was perhaps the first major commercial building to do so in Melbourne.Statement of SignificanceAn early (and perhaps Victoria's earliest) and refined example of Georgian Revival which derived from Colonial sources and possibly the first 20th century deliberate attempt at streetscape harmony (after the stridency of the Edwardian era) in the city. It is a finely detailed modern building executed in the Georgian Revival style prevalent in the 1920s and was designed to be compatible with the 'Harley Street' image that was developed for the top of Collins Street after the First World War. The building is an important element of the highly significant group of 19th and early 20th century buildings deliberately designed to be harmonious with the Treasury building..Victorian Heritage Register H0474What is significant?Victor Horsley Chambers was constructed between 1922-26 for Victor Horsley of Horsley and Evans Costume Manufacturers for leasing as professional chambers. It was designed by W A M Blackett of Blackett and Forster architects. It is a five storey building in the Georgian Revival style constructed in concrete and brick with a stone facing. The ground floor facade is faced with smooth banded rustication and relates directly to the nearby Treasury building. The first floor level has symmetrically arranged windows with a pedimented triple window in the centre. On the fourth storey there is a cantilevered balcony with iron railing. The windows to the second and third floors are twelve-pane double-hung sashes and the walling on these upper floors is rendered. A balustraded parapet crowns the composition. Behind the ornamented facade is the lobby and lift with metal cage lift shaft with concrete wrap-around stair.How is it significant?Victor Horsley Chambers is of architectural and historical significance to the State of Victoria.Why is it significant?Victor Horsley Chambers is architecturally significant is an early example of the Georgian Revival style which became increasingly prevalent from the mid 1920s. The building is significant for its polite classicism and the conscious attempt to blend in with neighbouring structures.Victor Horsley Chambers is historically significant to the State of Victoria for its associations with some of the nation's most prominent medical practitioners, including Sir Victor Hurley..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites GRAEME BUTLER 1982-3, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS (VIC) 20TH CENTURY ARCHITECTURE SURVEY and 20th CENTURY BUILDINGS REGISTER.CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS1917 679 addition to a 2 storey house1920 Nov 3060 ₤30,000 erection of a reinforced concrete building1922 Aug 4350 erection of lamp in front of professional chambers.…. Etc..i-HeritageGraeme Butler citation (part)In the Georgian Revival manner, the sandstone base and upper sand-finished render follow established classical precents although the design appears to have been more Georgianised, in the building stage, after an initial more French Beaux Art influenced design. Careful attention to the details (metal, stone and cement) and fenestration show great finesse and whether, for instance, the ground floor's implied arcade, convoluted arches and fine fanlights were inspired by Greenway's St. James north elevation or the bracketted window hoods from Verge's Elizabeth Bay House or the glazed door-pair mullions from the Education Office, Bridge Street, Sydney, is unknown but probable in principle.Paralleling with the interest in historicism amongst the architectural profession of the 1920s was the concern for context, eventually leading to the award of a Street Architecture Medal. In contrast to the atypical Edwardian Baroque of Chanonry, Victor Horsley Chambers marks a deliberate attempt to harmonise with the classical revival Victoriana then abounding in Collins Street east.Of the important classical revival group 2 - 6, 12 Collins Street, Victor Horsley was the first to show good architectural manners towards the only remnant of the 19th century medical presence (8 Collins Street, qv) and was perhaps the first major commercial building to do so in Melbourne.Statement of SignificanceAn early (and perhaps Victoria's earliest) and refined example of Georgian Revival which derived from Colonial sources and possibly the first 20th century deliberate attempt at streetscape harmony (after the stridency of the Edwardian era) in the city. It is a finely detailed modern building executed in the Georgian Revival style prevalent in the 1920s and was designed to be compatible with the 'Harley Street' image that was developed for the top of Collins Street after the First World War. The building is an important element of the highly significant group of 19th and early 20th century buildings deliberately designed to be harmonious with the Treasury building..National Trust of Australia (Vic)Statement of Significance:Built for Victor Horsley Chambers P/L in 1920-22, as one of the State's earliest and most successful examples of commercial Modern Georgian, Victor Horsley Chambers shows an apparent effort by the architectural firm, Blackett & Porster, to harmonize with the classical revival character of Collins Street east and thus provides a precursor to the philosophy behind the first Street Architecture Award made to the same firm's Francis House opposite. As with other buildings in this part of Collins Street it has housed some of the nation's most respected medical practitioners of the period and, with its current internal integrity, which includes the lobby and metal cage lifts, reflects some of the context in which they practised.Classified: 18/07/1976Revised: 12/09/1990.HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGS CITATIONSVictor Horsley Chambers was constructed in 1924 for Victor Horsley of Horsley and Evans Costume Manufacturers as an investment office building. It was designed by the architects Blackett and Forster. It is a finely detailed modern building executed in the Georgian Revival style prevalent in the 1920's and was designed to be compatible with the "Harley Street" image that was developed for the top of Collins Street after the First World War. The building is an important element of the highly significant group of 19th and early 20th century buildings deliberately designed to be harmonious with the Treasury building..Hermes 714, 2020History of Place:This building was constructed in 1922-26 for Victor Horsley of Horsley and Evans Costume Manufacturers, 240 Bourke Street Melbourne. It was designed by leading architects Blackett and Forster. The building replaced on the site a twelve-roomed brick building which had been owned by Walter Coates Glover of Toorak. The new owners, Victor Horsley Chambers Pty. Ltd., had purchased the site for 56,000 pounds. Victor Horsley Chambers Pty. Ltd. owned the property until 1936 when Manchester Unity Fire Insurance Company paid 74,500 pounds for it and in June 1971 the current owners acquired it. It has been tenanted largely by the medical profession ever since it was constructed and in fact was obviously constructed as an investment building.According to Geoffrey Mewton, ( a pupil of Blackett, Forster and Craig architects) the building was designed by Hugh Craig. Mewton said of Craig that he believed Australian architecture should be developed from the work of Greenway and other early colonial architects. This is not particularly surprising, given the positive reception to the publication of Hardy Wilson's 'Old Colonial Architecture in New South Wales and Tasmania' (1923), which led to a renewed interest in colonial and specifically Georgian architecture.(from notes on file)Associated People: Victor Hurley.NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954)Thursday 6 July 1922 - Page 26https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243646089LUXURIOUS SURGERIES NEW YORK'S FIFTH AVENUE SURPASSEDSix Air Changes an Hour“Good for you, Aussie! This might be the last word in Fifth Avenue."Thus spoke an American visitor the other day, after an inspection of a new building at the top of Collins street, which, in about two months' time, will accommodate medical and dental practitioners. When completed the building will represent all that Is re fined, compact and modern In architecture. The visitor went on to say that the new professional quarters reached an even higher standard than America had yet attained, because they embodied more modern features than did any single building in the professional end of Fifth Avenue.THE SUBDUED NOTENot only is the building's exterior in harmony with its surroundings, but its interior will be an arrangement of convenience and smartness far beyond anything that can be seen in Australia. It is a six-storied structure designed solely for surgery practice, with quarters for waiting patients. There will be no residential rooms in the building. In their exterior designs Messrs Blackett and Forster, the architects, have combined several styles, including the Renaissance.The central idea of the exterior is that there should be no hint of the aggressive about any building. There is a line entrance of Australian marble and polished mahogany, while the floors are of wood blocks. The suites are specially adapted for the most advanced needs of doctors and dentists, including an X-ray department. The architects have made a careful study of the wrought-iron work of the entrance and balconies. The stair ways are of marble, with wrought-iron balustrades, and there Is an up-to-date bureau, with strong-room attached, while the furnishing generally is of Australian timbers.MECHANICAL VENTILATIONA complete hot-water service has been installed throughout the building, together with a mechanical ventilation plant, by which the air will be filtered through screens, cooled in summer and warmed in winter, and humidified when necessary, with thermostatic control. Mechanical ventilation will be provided for every room in the building, with no fewer than six air-changes an hour. The conduits carrying the air are of glass-cased concrete, equipped with provision for washing in the horizontal ducts. There will also be hydraulic and electric lift services. The electrical system adopted is of the Henley variety, with Flush type Plugs, and a private club-room has been set up for tenants. Victor Horsley Chambers Pty. Ltd. owns the building..The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954)Wednesday 19 July 1922 - Page 14https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2436473871922 TRANSFORMING THE CITYNEW BUILDINGS FOR OLDThe city of Melbourne.…..PROFESSIONAL CHAMBERSThe great demand for offices and professional chambers is causing an increase in this class of building. One of the most interesting examples of a professional chambers building is that which is now nearing completion at 237 Collins street. It is to be called the Sir Victor Horsley Chambers, and is intended to be a memorial to the great neurologist, who gave his life for the Empire in Mesopotamia.It is five stories in height at the front and seven at the back and occupies an area having a frontage of 33 feet to Collins street by a depth for the first portion of 160ft. and 60ft. by 90 ft. at the rear. The structure embodies the latest ideas in ventilation and electric equipment. In addition to being well lighted throughout. the rooms have been designed and fitted up for the use of specialists, including X-ray opera tors, oculists, dentists, surgeons, masseurs and other practitioners in the art of healing. There Is a roof garden commanding an extensive view of Melbourne from all sides. Here is to be a tea room, where the tenants can get a quick lunch Among the features of the building are an incinerator, a laundry, a boiling- water service, and an emergency water supply- A telephone equipment commands every room in the building, and a great air duct, in concrete, -will supply washed and warmed air to every apartment and maintain a uniform temperature in all weathers. The architects are Messrs. Blackett. Forster and Craig, and the plumbing work. Including the ventilating and electrical equipment has been carried out by Mr …..1924see https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/37625743
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1197745
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 102171 | 1 PDF : 2,358 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |