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Bourke House, 179-183 Bourke & 145-153 Russell Street, Melbourne

Butler, Graeme01/01/1985

Scope and contents

Bourke House is significant aesthetically for its early progression to a Modernistic façade design, with the simple but effective abstraction of elements of prevailing Greek Revival style commercial City architecture. Bourke House also provides one of a pair of similar designs at the Russell and Bourke Street corner (see Norman's Corner stores).

Record details

Title:

Bourke House, 179-183 Bourke & 145-153 Russell Street, Melbourne

Creator:

Butler, Graeme (Name details)

Date of work:

01/01/1985

Reference number:

BIF-CITY 101127

Level of description:

Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)

Type of materials:

Graphic materials

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:

ASSOCIATED RESEARCH BY GRAEME BUTLER:Period: Inter-WarGraeme Butler & Associates 2011, Central City (Hoddle Grid) Heritage ReviewStatement of SignificanceWhat is significant?Bourke House , a six-level reinforced concrete framed and walled office building, was erected for the Posner Brothers jewellers of Bourke Street by Thompson & Chalmers at the Russell and Bourke Street corner in 1922-1923. The building design was by concrete specialist architect, Leslie M Perrott and the structural engineering was by the Australian Reinforced Concrete Engineering & Co P/L (WW Robertson, chief engineer). Initially, the ground floor was occupied by shops such as the Nu Food Sandwich Service delicatessen, Rooks Shoes Pty Ltd boot shop and L. Braun tobacconists. In more recent times it was known as the location of Darrell Lea, a treasure trove of confectionary.Reinforced concrete had been used sparingly for City multi-storey buildings since the Edwardian-era with pioneering examples such as Charles D'Ebro's Scottish House (1907-8, 90-96 William Street). When reinforced concrete was utilised, building surveyors required extensive testing of the structure as it evolved during construction too avoid collapse. Leslie M Perrott promoted his firm with self-published works on reinforced concrete and its use in building. He was later to design large City hotels such as the Alexander Hotel (1929), Australia Hotel (1939) and Chevron. One year after this building was completed, Perrott toured the United States of America with hotel entrepreneur James Richardson to inspect the latest trends in architecture.Showcased by the corner site, the two rendered street facades take on an abstracted Modernistic Greek Revival character that provides a precursor to the Moderne style and later stripped Modernist office blocks that were to follow after the Second War. The simple Bourke House design can be compared to the contemporary but highly ornate Nicholas Building as a pure example of Neo-Grec or Greek Revival, as applied to a commercial City building. At Bourke House, gabled parapeted forms surmount the two main vertical elements, centred on each street façade, acting as simple classical pediments. Projecting spandrel panels act as symbolic balconettes and quoining on each vertical façade strip implies classical pilasters. Steel-framed windows take on a stylised multi-paned character, with fixed top lights and casement lower lights.The upper-levels have a high integrity to the construction date although typically for the Capital City Zone the deep ground-level showcases have gone and new unrelated but transparent canopies added. Bourke House relates well to the former Norman's Corner Stores opposite and the Moderne styled Carlton Hotel and former Commonwealth Bank Building to the west.How is it significant?Bourke House is historically, aesthetically or architecturally significant to the City of Melbourne.Why is it significant?Bourke House is significant aesthetically for its early progression to a Modernistic façade design, with the simple but effective abstraction of elements of prevailing Greek Revival style commercial City architecture. Bourke House also provides one of a pair of similar designs at the Russell and Bourke Street corner (see Norman's Corner stores).Historically, Bourke House is also an early and well-preserved multi-storey example from the design office of reinforced concrete specialist, Leslie M Perrott, who was to make his reputation in large city hotel buildings in the following decades.References:Newspapers:`The Argus' (Melbourne, Vic.)Tuesday 23 July 1901Central Criminal Court`the accused Hyman to Messrs Posner Brothers, of Bourke street, who undertook to purchase a quantity subject to inquires at the Customs department as to the circumstances under which they came into Hyman's possession These inquiries led to the seizure of the goods by the Customs authorities, and ultimately to the charge now made against the accused..'Monday 14 September 1908Posner brothers acquitted of jewellery theftWednesday 26 December 1923`CITY SHOP WINDOW BROKEN.Man Charged with Theft…' stole four chains and cross from Posner brothers shop, later described as Edward Posner's jewellery shopFriday 31 August 1923: advert for offices and showrooms in `up-to-date new building' Bourke House.Building Permit Application extract:1922, 4280 11/7/1922 `erection of new building' ₤20,000 (VPRS 11200/P1/ 455)Drawings include perspective, ground floor plan showing 6 shops with showcase shopfronts at street frontages, offices along rear, main stair lobby with one lift or elevator and open stair, alternative jarrah stair with concrete walls, single wc attached. Elevations show suspended street awning at 2 (split) levels and showcase shopfronts with transom lights assumed metal framed, upper-level is as existing. Entry door to offices is pair of two-panel doors, with side wall showcases for tenant directories. Partitions were terracotta blocks, dados and picture rails were provided along with 3 panel timber doors with top lights into main tenancies. Typical upper-levels had offices around perimeter.1923, 4877 15/2/1923 `extra storey to building in course or erection..' ₤3000 Engineers Australian Reinforced Concrete Engineering & Co P/L (WW Robertson, chief engineer)drawings for added floor show reinforced concrete frame and walls, two tenancies, open escape stair, timber main stair attached toilet one lift and a light court to one side.1932, 13661 alterations and additions to building ₤20001935, 16084 alterations and additions to building ₤80001972, 42683 new shopfront to grnd floor.. ₤35001992, modify canopy…State Library of Victoria collection:see images c1940-SANDS AND MCDOUGALL DIRECTORY OF VICTORIA1974 Bourke HouseDarrell Lea confectrsLizas Snack Bar caféKingston jewellersSykiotis, A1955 Bourke HouseNeville's Tailoring Strs tailorsNu Food Sandwich Service Pty Ltd delicatessenL. Braun tobacconists1950Bourke HouseNeville's Tailoring Strs tailorsNu Food Sandwich Service Pty Ltd delicatessenL. Braun tobacconists1944-45Bourke HouseNeville's Tailoring Strs tailorsNu Food Sandwich Service Pty Ltd delicatessenL. Braun tobacconists1939Bourke HouseLondon & American Stores mercersNu Food Sandwich Service Pty Ltd delicatessenBraun & Cohen tobacconists1935Bourke House, Boston stores tailorsBraun & Cohen tobacconists1930Bourke HouseHarrisons & Samuels tailers & mercersRooks Shoes Pty Ltd boot shop183 Vacant1924179-183 Bourke HouseJno. M. Jacobs tailors & mercersAlfred Coon boot shop(1920 179-181 E. J. Gallagher Australian Hotel183 Claude O. Chapman tobacconist)

Names:

City of Melbourne

Topics:

Central Activities District Conservation Study 1985Conservation studiesInterwar periodShops

Places:

Melbourne (Vic.)

Form/Genre:

Building Identification Forms (BIFs)

Record types:

Research and reports

Record number:

1179949