Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia Ltd, 386-392 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Total copies: 1
Title:
Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia Ltd, 386-392 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 105739
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.
Use restrictions:
UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
General notes:
RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2022:__________________________________________________Period: Post Second WarDATE: 1959;ASSOCIATIONS: Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia Limited;DESIGNER: Stephenson & Turner.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceElectrolytic Zinc 386-392 Lonsdale StreetHistoryElectrolytic Zinc was designed in the period when the Western Market development proposal was reaching fruition and architectural observers were noting the turn from glass curtain works to stone-faced facades on city office blocks. Both factors are linked with this building, given its westward siting and its marble and granite facade. Nearby was another store facade (Guardian Assurance, corner William and Collins) designed by Melbourne's largest architectural firm, Bates Smart & McCutcheon, but the city's second largest firm (Stephenson & Turner) was responsible for this design, completed by mid-1959, after two years in construction. Observers noted its resemblance to the same firm's new Arbitration Courts. The building was one of the early fully air-conditioned offices but, nevertheless, logically retained the age-old openable double-hung (aluminium) windows to facilitate cleaning. The air-conditioning also inspired the operable louvres on the vulnerable west elevation, saving some 30% in plant capacity.The E.S. & A. Bank occupied the double-height ground level and the Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia Ltd. shared the upper levels with Associated Pulp & Paper Mills, Metal Manufacturers Ltd., Cable Makers Australia Ltd., Australian Associated Press, and other linked organisations such as T.V.T. Channel 9 and T.V.W. Channel 7.Electrolytic Zinc was established in 1915, dealing with lead, zinc and silver mining and refinement when this building was erected as its head office. Its products reflected the new base for mining in Australia after copper, gold and tin extraction began to decline only this century. Broken Hill was the centre of most of the new companies.DescriptionTen storeys above a lofty ground level with mezzanine, the elevation is divided into nine bays reducing to three major bays at the ground, continued as slim travertine-faced columns. The stainless steel framed entrance screen is set-back from the building line facing a courtyard paved and faced with differing marbles. Access to this low level court is obtained through a stainless steel balustrade and picket gate, set between the columns at the frontage, via set of `floating' riser-less marble stairs. The courtyard soffit is divided off into squares with shallow pyramidal metal tiles. A recessed incandescent globe beams from the intersection of each tile border as a further emphasis to the ceiling pattern. The words `Electrolytic Zinc' have been placed on the transom over the entry.The Hardware Street elevation takes on a more functional note. Although still divided into a grid by the marble-clad piers, granite spandrels and floor slabs, each opening is filled with aluminium (?) vertical louvres, creating a bold textural pattern.External IntegrityGenerally original.StreetscapeAdjoins similar functionalist-oriented designs of differing periods.SignificanceThe building is an intact, early departure from the glass box, then only two years old in Melbourne, and adoption of air-conditioning rather than the more common mechanical ventilation and openable windows. As such it was a prototype for the large number of stone and pre-cast facades to follow up until the gradual emergence of the `skin' buildings (such as Eagle Star and B.H.P) and the skin/glass-box hybrid by the re-adoption of reflective all-glass cladding (Rialto Tower). It also demonstrates the quickly learnt lesson of solar load, by its louvre placement. It continues an association with one of Australia's biggest mining companies..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites 20th C Register; 1985: Graded B.CROSS-SECTIONOctober, 1957Arch'ts Messrs Stephenson & Turner were mentionedfrequently in the press. Along with Frank Lloyd Wrightthey have been appointed to contribute to the fabulousexpansion programme in Irak. Wright is designing,not only an Opera House (C-S May '57) but acomplex of cultural bldgs, to cost £20m. The commissionfor Stephenson & Turner is 3 hospitals, tocost about £12m./ The defence project at St Marys,NSW (C-S June '55), for which Stephenson &Turner are arch'ts was criticised by auditor-generalH C Newman, who tables in Parl't an analysis of progress,which said that although work is commendablyadvanced (completion is due in December) costs aresnowballing, and this is due to failure to superviseeconomics to the extent demanded by the cost plusfixed fee contract. The estimate of £23.2m (which includes£2.9m for contingencies & forecast rises) hasrisen, despite abandoning £1.8m of work, above£26.3m./ A hospital com'tee also had a nibble at thefirm, but their criticism referred only to £4000 ... thesum named for "repairs" to the 12-months old, £240,000,Gippsland Hosp, Sale, Vic./ Tenders were called bythe same arch'ts, for a new limit-height office block,390 Lonsdale-st, Melb, for Electrolytic Zinc Co..September I, 1959 illust.The Colonial Mutual Life's proposed £3m new bldg (C-SJan '58) was illustrated in the press; it will have ablack granite base, facade of pearl marble (arch'tsStephenson & Turner). A £350,000 block for Guard'anAssurance, at William, Collins sts corner, will be facedwith Stawell freestone, & have about equal windowsand stone (Bates, Smart & McCutcheon, arch'ts). Italso appeared on a bldg finished in Lonsdale-st, thisnew HQ for Electrolytic Zinc Co, of very similar formto the new Arbitration Courts (C-S, April '59) bythe same architects, Stephenson & Turner. Thisexample taunts another popular modernism, too, inthat it is fully air-conditioned, yet all the windowsare openable, being double-hung, aluminium sashes.That choice is to facilitate cleaning from inside. Onthe west-south-west side external louvres protect eachwindow, individually operable; their presence saved atleast 30% in air conditioning plan installation. A bankoccupies the double-storey ground floor space..BUILDING IDEAS (CSR) March 196593 Electrolytic Zinc 390 Lonsdale Street, 1959Stephenson and Turner.City of Melbourne online maps 2016MIT House:A thirteen storey reinforced concrete office building with basement and ground floor retail. Designed by Stephenson & Turner and built by Lewis Construction Co Pty Ltd for the Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia Limited in 1959. Over the years it has been known as Electrolytic Zinc Building, Equity Place, Euro-Asia Building and Suleman House. Subdivided in 1990..CONTEXT (WITH GJM HERITAGE) 2020, HODDLE GRID HERITAGE REVIEWNominatedIdentified in previous heritage review (Central Activities District Conservation Study, 1985)Date of construction: 1959A 13-storey office tower built for the Electrolytic Zinc Co. in 1959. Refurbished and façade changed in 1990 – see 1959 photo.Explanation for exclusion:Substantially altered.Low integrity.There are better and earlier examples.
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Record number:
1251632
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 105739 | 1 PDF : 1,253 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |