Rialto, 497-503 Collins Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Title:
Rialto, 497-503 Collins Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 102103 3
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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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Period: VictorianConstruction date: 1890-1891Architect: William Pitt.ASSOCIATED RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER:.VICTORIA HERITAGE REGISTER H0041What is significant?The Rialto Building, 497-503 Collins Street, was designed by the prominent Victorian architect William Pitt for businessman Patrick McCaughan. It was built by contractors Comely and Guillam between 1890 and 1891. The large complex, principally built in face red tuck-pointed brick, has facades to Collins Street, the Rialto Plaza, Flinders Lane and to the redeveloped rear section of the Winfield building to the east. The five storey Collins Street facade forms a screen to the major section of the building at the rear, a six storey arcade of small warehouses. The Collins Street facade is a distinctive version of the Venetian Gothic palazzo style. This polychromatic facade, with a diverse range of decorative materials including cement, ceramic tiles and pressed zinc, forms an integral part of the Rialto precinct, a highly significant group of five late Victorian buildings. Pitt?s version of the Gothic was inspired by the style of the Gothic palazzo mercantile exchanges of Venice.The long east facade is now incorporated into an atrium, and faces the new Winfield Building finished in a sympathetic style on the opposite side. The pointed arch motif of the Collins Street facade is consistently repeated in the openings of the warehouse section of the building. The whole complex is now occupied by a hotel, housed beneath a glazed atrium formed in 1984.The original bluestone cobbled laneway, which served the carts and wagons delivering wool and other products to the Rialto building warehouses, survives intact on the ground floor of the atrium. This laneway forms a U-shape by looping around under the building at the Collins Street end, and returning along the whole length of the west facade back to Flinders Lane.The building was specifically designed with the latest contemporary fire prevention measures. The plaster of internal walls and ceilings of the office section was placed on expanded metal lathing, a significant advance to traditional timber laths. In the stores area each room was compartmentalised with full height masonry walls. The stone stairs and hydraulic lifts were located in two isolated bays. Traegerwellblech fireproof flooring was employed, a system of curved corrugated iron resting on the flanges of steel joists and covered with concrete.The Flinders Lane facade incorporates a five storey corrugated iron urinal enclosure. The floors of the block are formed by the galleries, and the walls are simply formed from galvanised corrugated iron. The exact date of these toilets is not known. Pitt's original plans show earth closet toilets on the roof of the building, but a later, apparently undated plan shows urinals in their current position. The architect took the trouble to incorporate Gothic pointed arch windows into the ironwork, giving a sense of unity with the brick structure.Tenants of the building in the early 1890s included the newly formed Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works, responsible for providing Melbourne with a water and sewerage system. Other tenants included the law firm of Theodore Fink, who was a noted lawyer at many ?land boomer? trials in the 1890s. Later tenants included the Melbourne Woolbrokers Association and in 1904 the Wool Exchange Sale Room was located on the fourth floor of the warehouse block.How is it significant?The Rialto Building is of architectural and historical significance to the State of Victoria.Why is it significant?The Rialto Building is architecturally significant as one of the finest ?boom style? buildings in Melbourne, and is an integral part of an exceptional group of late Victorian commercial buildings in Collins Street. The richly articulated surface mouldings, the array of Gothic windows and polychromatic brickwork to the Collins Street facade is a quintessential expression of ?boom period? architecture. It is one of the finest examples of the commercial Gothic style successfully developed by prominent architect William Pitt.The rear section of stores stylistically echo the front office section, notably in the use of the pointed Gothic window. The stores are significant as a unique arrangement of warehouse space in Melbourne. The space created by the long internal facade and the narrow laneway is also unique, and despite no longer being open to the elements, the current layout retains the form, substance and atmosphere of the original layout.The Rialto Building is architecturally significant for its fire-prevention measures. Innovative technology in its construction included fire resistant expanded metal lathing for plaster and Traegerwellblech floors.The Rialto Building is historically significant as a demonstration of the building boom in Melbourne during the early 1890s, shortly before the economic depression halted building for most of the decade. The design demonstrates the new approach to office accommodation, being specifically planned for a range of commercial tenants and with shops to the ground floor of the street facade. The unusual urinal enclosures demonstrate a novel solution to the provision of sanitation in a multi-storey building.The Rialto Building is historically significant for its associations with the newly formed Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works. It is also associated with many prominent businesses, including the law firm of Theodore Fink. Additionally, the warehouses link the building historically to the wool industry because the building was an important focal point to the wool markets and auctions as well as for storage..PERROTT, LYON, TIMLOCK AND KESA 1976, C.B.D. STUDY, CITY OF MELBOURNE CONSERVATION STUDY AREA TWO:2.12 Streetscape No. 2Includes -The Olderfleet Building 1891Record Chambers 1888New Zealand Insurance Co. Building 1888Winfield Building 1891The Rialto 1890-1The Adelaide Steamship Co. Building 1905-6Robbs Buildings 1885This streetscape must be the most popularly appreciated collection of buildings in Melbourne, particularly those buildings extending from the Rialto to the Olderfleet Building. This latter group of buildings represent the most intact and striking examples, collectively, of the late 'Boom Period' of 1880-90, in Melbourne. The styles vary from freely adapted Venetian Gothic, Elizabethan to the Classic but the unifying elements are their mutual scale and the richness of their decoration. These facades of buildings are on the State Register.The inclusion of the Steamship Buildings, Phosphate House and Robbs Buildings in the streetscape creates two other stylistic brackets of building; the early Boom and the post Boom, 'Company Headquarters' phase.a) The Steamship Building, in its unpainted form, had many similarities to its uphill neighbours; the use of brick as a decorative material and the accompaniment of stone and cement dressings, plus its scale and loose stylistic affiliations (the use of Elizabethan elements) make it an integral part of the streetscape.Another factor is that of the ground level treatment; care has been taken to align the first storey cornice with that of the Rialto, given that this meant a lofty business chamber inside. Subsequent storey cornices align with the Rialto's, as does the punctuation of window openings at each level. In short, the Architect (D'Ebro) took some pains to achieve a similarity to the Rialto, in general massing, if not a similarity in the decorative enrichment.b) Phosphate House, however, is not such an immediate inclusion in the streetscape; there is a similarity of scale but the Gothic verticality of the facade marks a complete change from the Classic storey divisions and 'horizontal emphasis of the other buildings. These vertical ribs terminate, at least, at a horizontal 'cornice' which has been designed to correspond with that of the Steamship Building.However, at ground level, the consequence of the building being purely a headquarters of the 1930's is seen immediately. There is no show window or Business Chambers and indeed the line of the building's podium is thus much lower than its neighbour. b) The building is thus not an integral part of the Streetscape but it does contribute just a little more than just by its scale;- some gesture has been made via architectural detail, as described above, plus the obverse factor, i.e._ the bland foil it gives to the rich detail beside it. It is a well designed building and, as such, does not offend in any way. c) Robbs Building completes the Boom Period collection. This massive classical facade is a very suitable corner building. In scale, it relates across Collins Street, to Aberdeen House and across King Street, to the former New Zealand Load Building (now Security House). Its decoration and parapet line correspond to its late Boom associates, up the hill; the gap presently in between them could be filled by a set-back tower building without destruction of the common parapet line.The presence of this building and those on three corners mentioned constitute an Environmental Area; albeit this area is busy King Street..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS 4050; Victoria Illustrated: 155National Trust of Australia (Vic)One of the finest examples of late 19th century picturesque Gothic office buildings in Melbourne, designed by William Pitt and built by Comely & Gwillam 1890-91. It incorporates a variety of window designs and a rich array of stucco details and ornamental tiling. This building is notable both for having incorporated fireproof construction using metal lathing for interior walls and ceiling and for the extensive open gallery along its east side.Classified: 27/10/1973Part of group classification for B0469 Olderfleet Building; B3057 Record Chambers; B3058 South Australian Insurance Building; B3463 Winfield House & B3664 Adelaide Steamships.NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954)Friday 12 June 1891 - Page 7https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/190626120THE RIALTO.One of the most striking of the many new buildings recently erected in Melbourne is the Rialto, in Collins-street west. Its completion adds one more to the list of palatial structures to be found in the city. The building is erected for Mr. P. R. McCaughan, and is of the Gothic style of architecture of the transitionary period, the mouldings adopted being early English. The enrichments are exceedingly pleasing, and give the Rialto a claim to being classed as a representative of the productions of the period when Gothic art, rising from its first stage, assumed a higher and more nobly graceful form. The general appearance of the elevation is rendered more attractive by the enrichments of encaustic tile work gracefully arranged in spandrels or forming a frieze for a cornice. The building is surmounted by an octagonal tower crowned with a highly decorated zinc roof ; and placed at the corner of the building, it serves as a landmark, observable for a considerable distance. Breaks and balconettes are arranged on the front elevation to prevent a wall of monotonous openings, and they add considerably to the artistic effect. The structure is four stories above the street elevation, but there are two basements, so that the Rialto has six flats. The front roof is of enriched zinc, and the appearance throughout is highly creditable to the architect, Mr. Wm. Pitt.The building extends the full depth of the land to Flinders- lane, 318 feet, and is subdivided into storage apartments with cubical areas ranging from 2300 feet to 7000 feet. There are seven of these on each basement and six on the first, second and third floors. Access is gained to the basement by a right of way leading from Flinders- lane right round the building, the width on the eastern side being 24 feet and on the western side 9 feet. Although provision is made for six stores on each of the three floors above the basement they will, if necessary, be sub- divided into offices, and each is fitted with a "jigger" lift. The ground floor frontage to the main street is occupied by three commodious shops, and there are also six offices on this flat, five on the one above, and three on the third floor, in front of the stores. The top floor is divided into 13 offices and the keeper's quarters. Special attention has been paid to the lighting and ventilation, which have been secured by the adoption of the most approved modern methods. Access is gained to the offices on the different floors by iron balconies running the whole length of the building, and at the Flinders-lane end lavatories are arranged for each flat. Two stone staircases are provided, and there are two lifts in the well of each. At the rear of the topmost floor the lavatories, &c., are placed in an open court, floored with Trinidad asphalt. The building throughout is fireproof.Messrs. Comely and Guillman were the contractors. The total cost was about £60,000.The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Thu 4 Jun 1891 Page 10 NEW CITY BUILDINGS.https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8636314THE RIALTO.Since the collapse of the land boom there have been signs of a remarkable change in the street architecture of the city. Architects have ceased to emulate the Tower of Babel and as a consequence we have been treated to no more of those enormous buildings ranging from 14 to 15 stories in height coated with an outer skin of stucco and crowned on the parapet with a series of grinning heads whose ugliness even an altitude varying from 90 to 100 feet cannot wholly conceal.The building known as the Olderfleet perhaps the most prominent feature in the architecture of Collins-street west, heralded the new order of things and on July 1, a still more important structure elected by the same owner, and christened, not without meaning, the Rialto, will be opened a few doors farther west.In the case of the Olderfleet the premises had tins advantage that instead of towering towards the sky they extended backwards towards Little Flinders street giving tenants the advantage of unrivalled depth.The Rialto may be described as a new and on improved Olderfleet. The experience gained in erecting the first building has given the proprietor Mr P K M’Caughan many new uni! valuable hints and it follows that the Rialto is a building adopted for commercial uses is without rival m the city Built on a magnificent block offering a frontage of 67ft to Collins street by a depth of 120ft right back to Flinders lane it occupies one of the finest sites m the city mid the natural ad vantages of the position have been increased by a remarkable application of labour To do away with the abrupt slope from Collins street to Flinders lane the whole block of half on acre was as a preparatory step excavated to a depth of some 20ft and it is this fact winch gives to the structure one of its most remarkable and most important features. The Rialto facing Collins Street has an elevation of four stories. Forty feet or so back, so soon as the excavation is reached three additional floors are gained giving the structure on its Flinders lane facade a height of seven stories.On each floor is balcony 6ft in breadth runs the whole length of the side and on the ground a 24ft right-of-way completely surrounds the building these balconies may be considered as an entirely new feature in city architecture and add us much to the beauty as to the utility of the building. For the three lower floors they are set in mosaic cement and above that in bluestone slabs. All the floors of the building are fireproofed with iron joists filled in with concrete and each room is in itself completely cut off. In fact the Rialto according to the architects plan is divided into 68 fireproof compartments united under one roof. It provides no less than three acres and a half of flooring space and it includes 200 offices and 14 ware houses all constructed on the latest and most improved plan.Access from floor to floor is gained by means of bluestone staircases running around a left wall provided with hydraulic elevators of the latest principle. On the western side of the building, which is reserved for warehouses is an elaborate series of hydraulic jigger hoists, constructed as are the lifts by Messrs. P. Johns and Co.'s Hydraulic and General Engineering Company. Each floor has its separate system of fire hydrants adopted by the requirements of the Board of Health and the whole structure has this advantage that in the almost impossible event of an outbreak of fire in the brigades without the slightest difficulty could carry then hoses from Collins street along the outer balconies to any point of the structure. So far as the danger of fire is concerned the upper floors are as safe as the basement and the whole structure in spite of its exceptional size is perfectly within the range of the existing fire appliances of the city.The architect, Mr. William Pitt, F.R.V.I.A., has designed a very handsome double façade thus avoiding the ugly expanse of blank wall so usual in city buildings the style is transitionary Gothic which has enabled the designer to exercise his individual taste so as to take the greatest possible advantage of the local surroundings the chief feature of the facade is the octagonal lantern tower w Inch forms the principal point of the elevation and is surmounted by a beautifully constructed zinc spire. From this central point the elevation extends on each side by a series of tastefully contrasted gables and balconettes in which the grace of the design has been materially assisted by the employment of red bricks picked out with plaster tinted in the prevailing tone of grey-ochre. As a further ornamentation encaustic tiles, have been used for the decoration of the spandrels, and appear again with striking boldness as a frieze round the lower cornice in fact no expense has been spared by Mr M’Caughan to adapt the structure to the latest modern requirements the cost of the land was ₤65 000 and the building with lifts and fittings run to £60,000 more making the total expenditure £125 000 The contractors are Messrs, Comely and Guillam.The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)Saturday 27 September 1941 - Page 2https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8207161MELBOURNE'S TOWERS HAVE AN AIR OF ROMANCEOriginally Modelled on Defensive Structures, They Bring an Exotic Air to the City Written and Photographed by STEVEN HENTYSee illust 1941
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 102103 3 | 1 PDF : 2, 096 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |