Roughton's Building, 284-288 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Total copies: 1
Title:
Roughton's Building, 284-288 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 101196
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
Part of:
Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
Access restrictions:
UnrestrictedOpen access.
Use restrictions:
UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
General notes:
Period: EdwardianConstruction date: 1914Notable features: 1. Photographer's studio top floor - hence form. 2. Highly mannered style (Classical Revival) contrasting with Barnet's adjoining design (Gothic Revival).ASSOCIATED RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER:.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistoryEllen Burton was its first owner, the Reinforced Concrete Construction Co its builders and the designer, the prolific architect, Nahum Barnet. Only in the previous year, Barnet had designed the neighbouring neo-Gothic warehouse at 280-82 Bourke Street for Francis & Co., chemists: it was also of reinforced concrete. The building's namesake was E & M Roughton who sold `kneckwear' whilst on the upper floors were the Catholic Women's Club, the Langham `Tea Flat' and Alfred Marks' Langham photographic studios which peered out across Bourke Street through the round hole at the top of the building.DescriptionThis building reflects its new structural concrete frame, more so than its eastern neighbour. Huge expanses of glass are not just at street level but elsewhere, including the former photographer's studio on the roof (Alfred Marks Photographic Studios. Show windows, alone, once extended to one and a half storeys prior to the addition of a canopy and their replacement. Barnet's predilection for oriel windows has been covered by the new canopy with only the upper central windows bellied base revealed. Overall, the facade is not Barnet's usual Medieval fare but an excursion into a stripped classical scheme not unlike the earlier (altered) Wight and Lucas design at 345 - 349 Collins Street (qv). In both buildings, an oculus is planted onto the upper facade, the earlier building being more eclectic and ornate. This motif, the exposed roof (Mansard) and dormers on Roughton's Buildings resemble 17th Century French domestic designs such as the Chateau Rosny.External IntegrityThe canopy, shop fronts and an addition to the roof are new and obtrusive.StreetscapeThree buildings, comprising 280-92 Bourke Street, are the highly ornamented distinctive core of this streetscape. Individually important designs, including 294-96 and 298-304 Bourke Street support them, as do the lesser 274-8.SignificanceAn unusual design (absolutely and compared to Barnet's other works) which is among the first city buildings to fully utilise the new structural systems by creating large window areas and minimising associated structural members. It is an exotic element of the Bourke Street commercial area..NIGEL LEWIS DECEMBER 1976, HISTORIC AND ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY OF THE CENTRAL CITY OF MELBOURNE BOURKE STREET, EAST AREA 8 OF THE SURVEY COMMISSIONED BY THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCIL : 33;284-288This building is shown under construction in the 1914 photograph and was built as the Roughton's Buildings. Since the top floor was a photographers' gallery, the roof structure could be original. The composition an elaboration of the high boom style of relieving the building facade by bay windows. Here the side bay windows terminate below the top window and the division into three sections marked at the top floor level by central bay window. The large window openings, nearing continuous bands glass are an early use of this modern innovation. The decorative dormer windows and central circular motive are unusual as is the lack of applied ornamentation.RECOMMENDATION:These two highly individual buildings should be protected under the proposed planning controls as essential elements in the Bourke Street Environmental Area.1. Real Property Annual, 1914, p. 59. (photo).Building Permit Application 4711.Walking Melbourne 2016`The Neo-Gothic style building with the gargoyles on the parapet is 290-292 Bourke Street which was indeed the Darrods (The Style People) store for many years from about the mid 1930s. However, it was originally the site of the 1846 Albion Hotel, the main Cobb & Co terminus in Melbourne and there used to be a plaque on the street-front wall commemorating that. This building was built in 1899 as the Suttons Music warehouse and store. In 1912 the first floor was completely gutted while it was being used as a film storage facility for the Britannia and Melba theatres across the street. Flames leaped twelve feet across Bourke Street and employees jumped from windows. At that time the Albion Hotel occupied the basement and the third floor was occupied by Yeoman and Co photographers. It was sold in 1934 for £110,000, then a record Melbourne CBD price per square foot.The neighbouring building at 284-88 Bourke Street was built in 1914 and designed by Nahum Barnet, probably for the company Holders Pty Ltd. Harry Norris re-designed an Art Deco shop front for the building in 1928. It was known as Roughton’s Buildings after the company E & M Roughton and for many years. The large glass windows in the upper floors were installed for the Alfred Marks Photographic Studios there and some people think that the large oculus on the roof resembles a camera view-finder. In more recent years the building was part of the Katies store.The third (eastern) building in the group is 280-282 Bourke Street and was built to a design by Nahum Barnet in 1913 for Francis the Chemist. The two Barnet buildings are very early reinforced concrete structures.'.Newspapers:Advocate (Melbourne, Vic. : 1868 - 1954) Sat 15 Apr 1916 Page 30https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/151747228`...Australian Catholic Federation, and it was now its turn to come forward and assist — as it intended to do — the Catholic Women's Club new venture, by every means in its power. (Applause.)' The new rooms in Roughton Chambers, Bourke-st., could not be improved upon for suitability and site, and he congratulated the members on their having secured a situation for their club second to none in the city. He prophesied a highly successful future for the Catholic Women's Club, particularly if they stood' shoulder to shoulder in their determination to do their part individually towards obtaining new members and advertising the club by their own personal patronage and word of mouth. Mr. H. Nolan, B.A., LL.B., then addressed the gathering, and said he had pleasure in endorsing the re marks of the able General Secretary of the Australian Catholic Federation. .The Catholic Women's Club had his earnest wishes for its future progress, which he hoped would be marked now that the drawbacks and disadvantages of the old rooms were to be things of the past…. 'The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954) Thu 30 May 1935 Page 5 HIGH RENTALS IN BOURKE ST.`… There was a greater demand than ever for business premises in Bourke Street, Melbourne, and some tenants granted relief under the Rents Reduction Act had suffered no hardship from the financial depression. Mr E. F. Herring, counsel for the landlord of Houghton's Building, told the Chief Justice (Sir William Irvine) in the Third Civil Court today. Elliot Roughton the landlord, asked for a variation of an order made by the late Acting Chief Justice (Sir Leo Cussen) in 1932. Sir Leo Cussen had before him a capital valuation by Louis Sallmann of £118,637/10/ and fixed the rent at £493-3-9 a month (5 per cent, on the capital value).
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 101196 | 1 PDF : 1,039 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |