Prell's offices, later Felton Building, 7-11 Queen Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Title:
Prell's offices, later Felton Building, 7-11 Queen Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 108058
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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Graphic materialsTextual material
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2022:__________________________________________________Period: VictorianDATE: 1886;ASSOCIATIONS: Prell, F.W.;DESIGNER: White, F M;BUILDER: Mitchell, David.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceFelton Building007-011 Queen Street1885-86HistoryProlific property developer, F W Prell, commissioned architect, F M White to design these brick offices in 1885; the builder was David Mitchell. Prell was F W Prell & Co., merchants and importers, at this address after completion. Among the tenants of the 1890s were James Bell & Co. grain merchants, the Royal Insurance Co., the Colonial Sugar Refining Co. Ltd., William Watson shipping surveyor and McClure Valentine & Co. auctioneers. By 1900 Watson, Royal Insurance and other mainly professional tenants remained but James A Weir, agent and Paul de Castello, wine merchant, were among the new ones. Around the time, the Tessellated Tile Company occupied the basement.Blainey's One Hundred Years of Johns & Waygood, Ltd., 1856-1956 (19) tells of Friederich Wilhelm Prell's introduction to the Yankee elevator when W.F. Hall of the American Otis firm happened to chance upon him during the construction of the adjoining 15 Queen Street, (1890), then only four storeys and without elevators. `(Hall) pointed out that the gentleman who had to climb four flights of stairs would probably reach the top floor with aching legs, fluttering heart and a firm resolution to do business elsewhere. Hall convinced Prell that the upper floors of a building served by a good elevator would yield as much rent as the ground floor.' So Prell added two storeys and installed Victoria's first passenger elevators. By the early 1890's, Prell (and F M White) had moved on to the 7th Floor of Broken Hill Chambers, 31 Queen Street; one of his twin awe-inspiring `sky-scrapers' (8 storeys) which had introduced yet more Otis hydraulic elevators to Victoria. They were also the design of F M White, but have since been demolished. By 1893, principals in Prell's company included A E Rushall and S H Prell who resided with F W at Irving Road, Toorak.By c1930 the present name had been acquired (presumably in connection with Alfred Felton's estate), with major tenants being insurance companies, the Pearl Assurance Co. and World Marine & General Insurance Co. being among them. Ten years later, the insurance companies had prevailed but new firms included the Wizard Rug Company.F M White had designed many city buildings for Prell, since 1880, on sites in Queen Street, Chancery Lane (Little Bourke Street) and including major structures like the Union Bank, corner Collins and Queen Street and the 8-9 storey buildings at the Collins Street and two Flinders Lane corners of Queen Street. Prell and White shared an office floor at 31 Queen Street well into this century. The Felton Building is the only survivor of Prell's massive structures which once dominated Queen Street.DescriptionThree-levels plus a basement, with stuccoed brick walls, the Felton Building is unusual because of the front set-back created to allow access from the street. Composed as a grid-like facade, the glass to wall-area ratio is high for the era and the cement detail intricately designed after the French Renaissance manner, albeit in a two-dimensional way. Iron railing to Queen Street is another unusual element arising from the basement configuration.External IntegrityGenerally original.StreetscapeRelates closely to the adjoining buildings (Fletcher Jones and Lombard buildings).SignificanceA near externally intact 19th century office building with finely detailed cement ornament and an uncommon basement configuration. It also serves in a valuable 19th century commercial streetscape and has housed many important Melbourne firms. It is in a section of Queen Street once dominated by the massive Prell skyscrapers, as the only one of his buildings to survive, albeit at a lesser scale to those demolished..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites source 80, page 45__________________________________________________REID, KEITH & JOHN R, 1976, MELBOURNE CBD STUDY AREA 7 (source 80)FELTON BUILDING7-11 Queen StreetBUILT: 1886 (2)DESCRIPTION: 3 storey brick offices with basement shops ..Alterations: Renovations to basement shop; new entry doors, new ceilings and partitions inserted in some office spaces, and rear linked to Fletcher Jones.Construction & MATERIALS: Brick, rendered façade, timber floors and stair.CITYSCAPE RELATIONSHIP: A building integrally related in scale and facade texture to the streetscape whichcontinues around into Flinders Street.RECOMMENDATION: Retention of façade recommended as being important.HISTORICAL ANALYSISThe background and date of building has been obtained from rate books. Street numbers have varied with the same occupier who was therefore traced back together with adjoining owners and land sizes.1886 Land vacant1887-1892 Land owned by F. W. Prell contained building of three' flats (floors) with basement in two suites with thirty-four rooms.Various tenants sometimes noted at No's. 7, 8, 9 and 11 and on 1st and 2nd floors included: Longwill; Walker;Wenley; W. M. Hughes; Society for Widows and Orphans; Medical Society of Victoria; Gillespie Cowderoy; McLure, Valentine and Co.; and Royal Insurance.ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSISA surprisingly simple facade with equal, vertical windows separated. by masonry mullions with horizontal coursing used as column decoration.Horizontal lines predominate because of strong entablatures at floor levels and a heavy, but refined crowning cornice and parapet on top'. As with the neighbouring Lombard Building, the high proportion of void to solid is worthy, of note. Internally there is along, grandiose, straight stair of stone with wrought iron balustrade, the latter painted an unfortunate green.We are not aware of the existence of another compatible office facade.RECOMMENDATIONOn the basis of present information available about the building, and its important function in the Queen and Flinders Street streetscape, the retention of facade is recommended as being important. (HBPC register)__________________________________________________VICTORIAN HERITAGE INVENTORY H7822-1872https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/97862nd land sale 1837, Block 3, Allotment 8, R S Webb. Building on site 1839-40.1877 - 5 buildings & yards, sheds. McKenzie & Co. Bond Store. 1886 - site vacant (ratebook).1888 - 3 storey building; Royal Insurance Co., Balfour Elliot, F W Prell & Co.1905 - 3 storey building; Mercantile Mutual Fire Insurance Co., F W Prell & Co.__________________________________________________HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGS CITATIONSStatement of SignificanceA three-storey office building with basement constructed in 1886 for the developer F W Prell. Constructed of brick with a rendered front facade, the building epitomises the "London club" character that developed in the southern end of Queen Street (the "Lombard End") in the late 19th century as it became the centre for mercantile interests in the city.__________________________________________________LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:Record 71562 White, F M; Prell, W F Melbourne VIC Buildings Mitchell, David - Burnley st, Richmond 1885 05 5 1489-MCC registration no 1489 [Burchett Index]. Fee 7.0.0three-storey building
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 108058 | 1 PDF : 1,250 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |