State Electricity Commission Building, 238-242 Flinders Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
Archives
Total copies: 1
Title:
State Electricity Commission Building, 238-242 Flinders Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 104013
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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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2021:Style: ModernePeriod: Inter-WarDATE: 1932;ASSOCIATIONS: Victorian Government;DESIGNER: La Gerche, A R SEC Chief Architect.ROYAL VICTORIAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS JOURNAL (RVIAJ)https://digitised-collections.unimelb.edu.au/bitstream/handle/11343/108584/Victorian_Institute_of_Architects_Part4_1932_September.pdfSEPTEMBER, 1932.STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA NEW BUILDINGA. R. LA GERCHE, A.R.I.B.A., CHIEF ARCHITECT STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIATHE building is a fire-resisting structure of steel encased in concrete. The foundations are on a formation of hard and soft schist and consist of a series of reinforced concrete beams set out in the form of a monolithic grid with independent floor slabs separated from the grid by bitumen joints. In the grid the steel columns are embedded, and were first erected on small concrete bases placed at the bottom of the trenches which were excavated for the beams. The whole of the steelwork to the third floor level was then placed in position and after the necessary adjustments were made, the concrete foundations of the grid were poured, the columns transferring their loads by bond to the grid. The concreting of the floor slabs was carried out after the completion of the upper part of the building. The whole of the weight of the superstructure is taken by the grid, and the party walls on the north and west boundaries are entirely relieved of any pressure upon them.Stone from the Wangaratta Quarries was used for the exterior facing. To the first floor level on the Flinders Street frontage, the stone was employed as a casing to the concrete in the ordinary manner. Above that level the stucco finish is composed of a mixture of crushed Wangaratta Stone and Geelong cement, treated with a dilute solution of Muriatic Acid to remove the surface cement and to disclose the colour of the aggregate. The same material was used for panelling staircases and for facing the fronts of the elevators.For the various internal fittings, folded and pressed steel has been employed perhaps somewhat more extensively than on the average city building; otherwise the joinery is constructed of kiln-dried mountain ash. Among the various floor coverings, linoleum of Australian manufacture was used and in the showrooms, public spaces and corridors is laid down in the form of tiles approximately 12in. square, cemented to the prepared surface of the concrete. The three lower floors are provided with mechanical ventilation. Air is admitted to the building at the roof level and, after being filtered, washed and tempered is distributed by a system of plenum ducts, supplemented in certain sections by exhaust flues and fans continuously operated in the case of the sanitary blocks. For warming, briquette fuel has been successfully utilised. The installation, located in a sub-basement, consists of two under-fired multi-tubular boilers of an hourly capacity each of 2,000,000 "BTUs." automatically fired and thermostatically controlled, the heat being distributed by radiators throughout the various rooms and corridors, or by heaters housed in the plenum ducts.An automatic telephone system is in operation throughout the premises. A single instrument is used for both internal and external calls, special keys being provided for holding waiting calls. The installation carried out by the Postmaster-General's Department consists of a complete 300 line automatic exchange situated on the 6th floor—approximately 210 telephones are at present in use. The main switchboard is manually operated. Fifteen incoming lines connect with the Cen tral Exchange while out-going lines are dialled direct from the instruments. A 400/230 volt, 4 wire, 3 phase, 50 cycle supply is provided for the building by a sub-station located in the basement of the Flinders Lane building. A duplicate 6.6 kV. supply from Tavistock Place is provided, so that there is little likelihood of interruption to supply, and in consequence no standby plant has been installed. Twin 4-core armoured cables run from the sub-station to the main switchboard located in the basement. The main board consists of eight panels, the overall dimensions being approximately 18ft. by 8ft. Matt zelemite lin. in thickness is used for the panels. The main oil circuit breaker has a capacity of 1,500 amps. and the circuits on each tariff are controlled by an air circuit breaker and fuses only, no circuit switches being used. Special metal cable troughs are provided to keep the wiring neat at the rear of the board, and the incoming conduits are run in a concrete trench in the floor. The wiring is on the solidly earthed neutral system, single pole switches and fuses being used on all sub-circuits, thereby effecting very marked economy both in cost and space required for the sub-boards. All wires and cables have braid, coloured to indicate the phase to which they are connected. The total connected load of the building is approximately 1,400 amps. per phase, but the maximum measured load has to date not exceeded 300 amps. per phase. The show window lighting is of special interest and includes a Thyraton controlled colour changing equipment which is the first of its kind in Australia. The total connected load of the windows is over 50 kW. Flood lighting is used for the front elevation from tenth floor level, forty-one (41) 200 watt outdoor flood lights being installed. A central antenna system is installed so that any number of radio receivers may be operated and demonstrated without interference. The main lifts consist of three gearless machines having a speed of 450 feet per minute, 2,500 lbs. capacity and car switch control with automatic floor levelling. Special attention was paid to the signal system and cross cancelling flashlight annunciators with up and down hall lanterns, and < electrical car position indicators are installed. The doors are of the centre parting type, 3ft. bin. opening, without car gates, and have proved satisfactory and rapid in operation. Power operation was considered, but experience has proved such to be unnecessary. At peak periods with heavy traffic in both directions, a service of 47 seconds is provided. The rear lift for the use of the staff is a geared machine of 2,000 lbs. capacity, 300 feet per minute, A.C. commutator motor and dual collective control with electric car position indicators. A complete 3in. pneumatic carrier tube system consisting of 22 stations is installed to handle all correspondence, the control desk being situated on the fifth floor. In addition, a 244n. cash system is operated on the ground floor. Shortly after installation the carriers handled in one day of eight hours were 2,313 or one every 122 seconds.Subsequently, a check was taken at a peak period when 330 carriers were handled in 30 minutes or one every 51 seconds. The system is operated by a turbine blower driven by a 20 h.p. motor in the basement. The vacuum is approximately 2.3in. of mercury and the speed of the carriers in the tube is approximately 30 feet per second. A small broadcasting set is installed on the roof for direct communication with the patrol cars, of which there are approximately 30 equipped with receiving apparatus in the metropolitan districts. It is interesting to note that after a call to a particular operator has been broadcast, the average time for an answer to be received by 'phone is three minutes. In connection with the broadcasting equipment, a 5 kW. fully automatic petrol driven generating plant is installed in the basement which supplies power to the set and light to the control room in case of emergency. This set takes 27 seconds to run up after failure of supply. Electric clocks have been installed throughout the premises and are of the minute impulse type operated by a master clock in the control room. The current for the secondary clocks is supplied by a copper oxide rectifier.Portable electric commercial type vacuum cleaners are installed, one being provided for each floor with a spare unit. Electrically operated floor polishers are used throughout the building. Hot water is provided by electric storage systems equipped with continuous and booster elements. The principal purpose of the building is the accommodation of the Commission's Metropolitan Electricity Supply Department which has been transferred from its previously cramped offices in Queen Street and to provide, at the same time, a more convenient situation for the general public in the payment of its accounts and the transaction of its business with the Commission. Advantage, however, has been taken of the new location —right opposite the Flinders Street Station--by means of showroom and demonstration rooms, to popularise the use of electricity. The ground floor and basement are therefore being used for displays of electrical manufactures and for demonstrations of household electrical and labour-saving appliances and for all other purposes for which electricity is now being so abundantly employed. In accordance with the Commission's policy, Australian materials have been used almost exclusively throughout.NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), Friday 3 June 1932, page 8;.City of Melbourne online maps 2016Unilodge On Flinders Apartments:14 storey brick and cement rendered office building with basement and gnd level retail. Designed by AR La Gerche in the Art Deco style and built in 1932..DIRECTORIES OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE-SANDS AND KENNY, SANDS & MCDOUGALL1942ELECTRICITY SUPPLY DEPARTMENT(State Electricity Commission of Victoria)Tel Cent 10310 (10 lines, all hours)238-242 Offices & Showrooms
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1210142
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 104013 | 1 JPEG : 237 KB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |