I.O.O.F. Building, also Victoria House, 380 Russell Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
Archives
Total copies: 1
Title:
I.O.O.F. Building, also Victoria House, 380 Russell Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 108561
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
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:
RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2022:__________________________________________________DATE: 1963;ASSOCIATIONS: Independent Order of Oddfellows;DESIGNER: Oakley & Parkes & Partners.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceVictoria Hall380-394 Russell StreetHistory(Refer IOO hall, Victoria Street)The Independent Order of Oddfellows had occupied the adjoining corner site since the mid 19th century and offices in Melbourne itself since the 1840s. In 1963, their new headquarters were conceived by LLoyd Wright followers, Oakley & Parkes & Ptnrs., to face in the opposite direction, occupying a wedge shaped site with a wedged shaped building which was to rise eventually to 20 storeys but it was to begin modestly.DescriptionAD, the site it occupied was nearly an island and thus gave great scope for three-dimensional modelling and, in particular, the pursuit of Wright prototypes like the Pauson Arizona house, 1940, given its temporarily reduced scale. "Cross-Section" noted the scorn of arch Modernists towards Wrightian touches like the seemingly incongruous rubble rustic stonework of the penthouse: it was derivative, a copy. However the magazine rose to its defence "...(is there any recent building in Melbourne that is not derivative, usually at third and fourth hand removed....its convincing swathes of windows and concrete dramatize this drab end of Russell Street and is plainly sensible and unaffected"... While striking a note of nostalgia the design, perhaps in an unintentional way, was also hinting at the rising forces of international Brutalism which was itself in part inspired by the expressive and bold forms created by both Corbusier and Wright and a move from the predictable bland Modernism of post-war austerity.External IntegrityGenerally original, except for replacement of the ground level carpark with glazed lobby.StreetscapeUnrelated to its surroundings but successfully designed for its corner exposure.SignificanceA successful, if derivative, interpretation of the work of Lloyd Wright and hence a refreshing change for contemporary commercial architecture then obsessed with more bland Lever House functionalism..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites RAIA 20th Century Architecture Register,___________________________NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (VIC) B7267see https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/71568Statement of SignificanceWhat is significant?The former IOOF Building was constructed in 1962-3 as new offices for the Independent Order of Oddfellows, a friendly society. It was designed in 1959 by K F Knight of the important architectural practice of Oakley & Parkes. The building was the first stage of a complex that was also to include a twenty-storey office tower to the north of the existing building, on the corner of Victoria and Russell Streets. The building is of particular note for its banded facade at a time when curtain walls were dominant, for its floating cantilevered structure, its geometric plan form, based on triangles, which suited the triangular site, and particularly as an example of the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright.The former IOOF Building is a five-storey building with a rooftop caretaker's residence. It is laid out on a triangular grid, reflecting its acute angle corner site, as well as Frank Lloyd Wright's distinctive 30-60 degree plan forms. Each floor is marked by distinctive horizontal bands, with recessed bands of glazing between. The external walls of the triangular service core at the east end of the building are of rubble stone, the sheer east wall forming a strong contrast to the horizontal banding on the other facades.How is it significant?The former IOOF Building is significant for architectural reasons at a State level.Why is it significant?The IOOF Building is architecturally significant as a notable example of the design influence of Frank Lloyd Wright in Victoria, reflected especially in its horizontal banded facade, its plan form derived from a triangular grid, and the rustic stone rubble finish of the east end. It is a rare example in Australia of a large central city Wright-inspired commercial building. It is a key post-war building of the architectural firm of Oakley & Parkes, whose practice was noted for its architectural innovation from the 1930s to the 1960s.Classified: 08/09/2004___________________________NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (VIC), 2014. MELBOURNE’S MARVELLOUS MODERNISMOriginal Name IOOF BuildingCurrent Name Space HotelAddress 380 Russell Street, MelbourneArchitect Oakley & Parkes & PartnersCompleted: 1960Significance:A rare design in Melbourne referencing the organic principles of Frank Lloyd Wright. Designed over a triangular plan with a banded façade of concrete and glazing with a rubble feature wall over four floors.Intactness:Refurbished and converted to residential accommodation in 1994. Subdivided 1999. Refurbished further in 2011 with the addition of the three top storeys. Ground level altered.References:National Trust Classification ReportListings:HO848NT-State B7267 (2004)City of Melb BIncluded on the RAIA Twentieth Century Buildings Register.__________________________CONTEXT (WITH GJM HERITAGE) 2020, HODDLE GRID HERITAGE REVIEWBrutalism and brickworkBrutalism was another architectural style that emerged in commercial building design in Australia as early as 1959,when Harry Seidler used off-form concrete for an eight-storey office block in Ultimo, NSW. That same year,Melbourne architect Kevin Knight (from the office of Oakley & Parkes) prepared plans for the International Orderof Oddfellows (IOOF) Building at 380 Russell Street, Melbourne that broke new ground with its banded façade ofreinforced concrete spandrels.Based on the work of modern architecture pioneer Le Corbusier, and largely inspired by his design for the Unitéd'Habitation in Marseilles (1952), this architectural style became widely accepted internationally. Brutalismincorporated ideas of integrity in expression of materials (especially off-form concrete), structure and function,and often gave rise to dramatic sculptural forms (VHD Hoyts Cinema Centre).___________________________NEWSPAPERS:The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne, Vic. : 1935 - 1999)Friday 9 July 1999 - Page 15https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/260920856 illust.1992Student home in CBDA PRICE in the region of $4 million is anticipated for the five-storey CBD building at 380 Russell Street (right), to be auctioned on Friday July 30 at 2pm. The building, opposite RMIT and only minutes from Melbourne University, is currently used for student accommodation. It is divided into 92 suites providing accommodation for 132 students. It has been let for 5+5 years on a new lease from May 1999 at $420,000pa plus outgoings, subject to 2.5 per cent annual increases. The building has two street frontages and offers potential for future development on two further levels (STCA). Conjunctional agents Dome Commercial and Colliers Jar dine believe substantial stamp duty savings will be available to the purchaser, and a four-month security deposit will add to the appeal of the property.
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 108561 | 1 PDF : 4,032 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |