Clyde House, 182 Collins Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Total copies: 1
Title:
Clyde House, 182 Collins Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 102149
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.
General notes:
Period: EdwardianConstruction date: 1915.ASSOCIATED RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER:.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistoryThe `narrow-fronted' building was becoming more of an issue for Edwardian architects. In an era when hydraulic or direct-current lifts put no limitation on building height and increasing site development had left many narrow 19th Century frontages sandwiched between massive neighbouring buildings, designers sought ways to achieve maximum site coverage, as well as the required natural lighting to office floors which had windows only at the front and rear boundaries. As a service to their professional readers, the Sydney magazine `Building' conducted a competition, in 1917, for an ideal narrow-fronted city design. Their judge was Melbourne architect, Nahum Barnet, and to demonstrate his abilities in this area, they published an illustration of this building and 157 Collins Street, both on a 20 feet (6.41m) frontage.`...The buildings, though narrow, are designed to prevent any appearance of thinness, and are an excellent testimony of the architect's skill in solving a very difficult problem in architecture...'A 1921 edition of the magazine again applauded Barnet's ability on thin sites, this time the Ezywalkin Building, Swanston Street.Clyde House was erected in reinforced concrete and brick,during 1914, by W. B. Davis, for James A. Coates and executors of the Coates' family estate (see also Coates Building). The primary tenants were J. B. Milton & Co., (vice-regal tailors and breeches makers), more specifically E. W. Roach and J. B. Milton, Pty. Ltd., tailors. Others sharing the building included the Misses Warland (corset & belt makers), J. B. Sang (the herbalist), A. O. McHugo (furrier) and, in short, all of the trades needed to outfit gentlemen and gentlewomen. This was, however, only up to the second floor (retail walking distance): above a totally different tenant emerged, with Zercho's Business College, (later in Chartres House, opposite), the Sudan United Mission, the Mission to Lepers, the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria, the Victorian Christian Endeavour Union and, on the top, the Arts & Crafts Society of Victoria, then an artistic force after the British Arts & Crafts Movement. A later tenant was Chandris Lines.No major work was carried out on the building until the 1960s, when a new shop front was erected (and again in 1976). An illustration of 1917 reveals how little change has come to the building, above the ground level. The original shopfront repeated some of the top-level glazing shapes, as a toplight with central roundel and recessed and bayed shopfront below.DescriptionA narrow-fronted rendered concrete building in the neo-Tudor manner, with full height oriel window bay, extending to a simple parapet with capped piers extending beyond and a panelled frieze at the top. The window element within the oriel extends up to a broad arch encompassing three smaller arches as the three continuous lights which extend down the bay. Spandrels at each floor level are given heraldic motifs and deep foliated medieval frieze work. The Scotch thistle is used at ground level, extending in bas-relief down minor colonettes to communicate with the ground. Windows are generally casements with toplights (typical of the Tudor style) and the parapet itself has bartizan motifs attached to either side and a segment-arched raised entablature between.External IntegrityGround level has been replaced in a sympathetic neutral manner. Unsympathetic signs have been added at ground level.StreetscapeComplements in height and ornament, the adjoining Martin & Pleasance Building and the Athenaeum Building and is part of an overall classical revival which extends from the Town Hall to the ecclesiastical Russell Street corner.SignificanceDistinguished, in 1917 and now, by its tall narrow facade, it was seen then to demonstrate the skill needed with difficult city sites and indirectly how the now reinforced concrete could achieve this. It also forms a sympathetic infill between two earlier classical facades..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM citesMURPHY ARCHITECTS, JOHN AND PHYLLIS 1976. HISTORIC BUILDINGS STUDY OF PART OF THE C.B.D. MELBOURNE : { AREA 1} WITH MURPHY, JOCK, FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCIL. 78 ,3;CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS 5139 (1914).LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEXRecord 74694 -Barnet, N; Coates, James A Melbourne VIC Buildings; Davis, W B - Normanby Chambers Chancery Lane 1914 08 19 5139- MCC registration no 5139 [Burchett Index]. Fee 6.0.0 reinforced concrete & brick buildings, Collins near cnr Collins - 182 - & Baptist Lane
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Research and reports
Record number:
1197181
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 102149 | 1 PDF : 1,318 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |