The Matadour, later La Maslotte, Prince of Wales Coffee Palace, Italian Society Club Restaurant, later Society Café, 23-29 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme01/01/1985
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Notable for the individual character of its free Romanesque revival upper facade and its contribution to a similarly inspired streetscape.
Title:
The Matadour, later La Maslotte, Prince of Wales Coffee Palace, Italian Society Club Restaurant, later Society Café, 23-29 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
01/01/1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 101106
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:
Style: Neo-RomanesquePeriod: EdwardianConstruction Date: 1901Notable Features:1. Unusual façade composition. 2. Relates to Medieval styled neighboursVHR Number: HO526/ HO500ASSOCIATED RESEARCH BY GRAEME BUTLER:Graeme Butler 1985 Melbourne Central Activities District Conservation StudyStatement of SignificanceHistoryAs with 19-21 Bourke Street, the general building size remained unchanged after the erection of this pair in 1900-01 for the owner, G.W. Hall (later Mrs. Eliza Hall). Similarly, the use (dining room) established in the early 1890s by John Hearn, continued under William Blight, as the International Restaurant. Alex Levien was another early restauranteur at that address.The Matadour and La Maslotte were other names attached to the premises in the period c1905-10, but the more prosaic identity of the Prince of Wales Coffee Palace seems to have remained with (27-9) for the next ten years or so. The Italian Society Club Restaurant ended this era of conservatism by the late 1930s, continuing today as The Society. Internal renovations are also evident from that period, perhaps in a similar mould to the contemporary and stylish Navaretti's restaurant. Whatever, the Society has been long known as a haunt of hungry parliamentarians and one of a luster of Italian cafes which arose at the upper end of Bourke Street during the period c1920-40. Its name has always been linked with long-time owners, the Codnognotto family.The designer was William Salway and the contractor, H. Hemmingsen, of Hawthorn. Salway's other city designs date around the 1890 period and include 133-9 and 288-92 Collins Street and 21-25 Elizabeth Street. They adopt similar English Queen Anne and Elizabethan revival characteristics.DescriptionAlthough seemingly drastically altered at the ground level, there is a possibility that the building's arched openings may correspond with the original ground-level openings, albeit now stripped of all of the probable idiosyncratic detailing, now visible at the upper levels. The upper facade includes a highly mannered combination of arcuation, trabeation and ornament inspired by theMedieval period, a combination which could be described as a free Romanesque revival. A particularly unusual juxta-positioning of elements is the gabled pediment and arched parapet (over a roof vent). Others include the elongated brackets, cum keystones, which support upper-level piers from the centrepoint of a contrasting pseudo-structural system beneath. Ornament in spandrels and on lintels is an atypical foliated design, achieved in pressed cement.External IntegrityThe ground level wall finish, canopy and joinery are new and the openings modified. A large and intrusive illuminated sign has been added to the upper levels and the street verandah removed.StreetscapeContributing part of a notable street elevation derived from Medieval and Elizabethan architecture.SignificanceNotable for the individual character of its free Romanesque revival upper facade and its contribution to a similarly inspired streetscape. Historically, its continuous use as a restaurant (generally of a European, particularly Italian style) relates to the rising popularity of Italian restaurants here, between the wars, and the parallel activities of Melbourne's bohemian café society.
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Record types:
Research and reports
Record number:
1179828
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 101106 | 1 PDF : 661 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |