165 Years of Enduring Architecture Founded in 1853 by Joseph Reed, Bates Smart Is One of Australia’S Oldest Redefining Density Architectural Firms
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
165 Years of Enduring Architecture Founded in 1853 by Joseph Reed, Bates Smart is one of Australia’s oldest Redefining Density architectural firms. Over the decades, the practice has been responsible Creative solutions empower our cities and facilitate environmentally and socially sustainable growth. for some of Australia’s most well-known and loved buildings. This timeline captures some of the more significant projects from past decades, connects Craft and Materials with key moments in history and represents the evolution of the company An integrated approach to architecture and interior design name. Bates Smart has continued to thrive under strong and innovative creates holistic and considered outcomes, with emphasis designers, an overarching belief in design excellence and an ability to create on materiality and craftsmanship. enduring architecture. Citymaking The timeline examines the work of the practice through the lens of five Design shapes our cities and encompasses the finer grain key themes, which can be consistently applied to all of Bates Smart’s work. of our streetscapes and our ever-changing skylines. The As we move further into the twenty-first century and under the leadership capacity to positively impact the public realm and create a sense of place is at the forefront of design. of new architectural innovators, Bates Smart continues to intelligently explore the issues and influences that impact modern life. Transformational Design Curiosity and innovation has the ability to create design that is truly transformational. By intelligently exploring the issues which impact modern life, good design can improve the way in which we live. Environmental Sustainable design needs to consider both environmental performance, but also longevity and the enduring impact on the public realm. 1853 1862 Joseph Reed Reed & Barnes 1869 Rippon Lea, Elsternwick The well-known Rippon 1864 Lea, was completed Melbourne Public Library, Melbourne in 1869 for Frederick Sargood. The house’s The Melbourne Public Library, now known as the polychromatic brickwork, State Library of Victoria, was Joseph Reed’s first echoes the earlier major competition win in 1854, and remains a Lombardic Romanesque building of significance for the city. 1867 style of the Independent Interestingly, some of the early illustrations Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne Church, and became a of the competition design differ from the building common characteristic that was constructed. One sketch depicted the The design of the Melbourne Town Hall signified of Melbourne residences building as a smaller structure and with an Ionic 1866 another major commission for Reed & Barnes during this period. temple portico, however the building we have today Independent Church, and is considered one of the most important is more monumental, with Corinthian columns public buildings to be constructed at the time. distinguishing the Swanston Street entrance. Melbourne Classical in inspiration, the design is distinguished Part of a greater masterplan, only the library by impressive Corinthian columns, a substantial Situated on the corner of 1873 was completed at this time and this itself was bluestone base and French-inspired, curved Collins and Russell Streets, Scots Church, constructed in stages. The most outstanding mansard roofs. the Independent Church, room internally was Queen’s Hall, situated on The corner foundation stone was laid by HRH Melbourne now known as St Michael’s, the first floor. Although modified over the years Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh on the 29th of is distinguished by its and currently closed for renovation, the hall is November 1867. The clock tower, which defines Situated opposite the polychromatic brickwork, distinguished by impressive Ionic columns and the corner of Swanston and Collins Streets, was earlier Independent dual street entries and the clever integration of natural light. completed in 1869. Church also completed Lombardic Romanesque The building was Australia’s first, purpose- The monumental portico which to this day by Reed & Barnes, Scots style. The church’s interior is built free library and one of the first in the world. characterises the Swanston Street entry, was Church demonstrates circular in form, resembling a much later addition and was completed in the diversity of styles Related a theatre more than a 1887. The design of the portico is attributed employed by the practice. Project traditional church, and was to Francis Smart, who had joined the practice In comparison to the (1913) designed to improve the which by then had changed its name to Reed, Lombardic Romanesque internal acoustics. Henderson & Smart. Unfortunately, the original church, Scots Church The church’s distinctive interior of the auditorium was destroyed by fire is considered to be an tower was an early landmark in 1925. example of the Gothic on Melbourne’s skyline. Revival style. 1853 1883 1890 1906 1907 1922 1926 Reed, Henderson Reed, Smart Smart, Tappin Bates, Peebles Bates Bates, Smart & Smart & Tappin & Peebles & Smart & Smart & McCutcheon 1901 The first Commonwealth Parliament is opened by the Duke of Cornwall and York, later King George V, in the 1914–1918 Melbourne Exhibition Building World War I 1880 1932 Melbourne International AMP Building, Melbourne Exhibition Building, Carlton In 1927, the Australian Mutual Provident The Royal Exhibition Building is one Society (AMP) decided to replace its of Melbourne’s most loved buildings Melbourne headquarters and held a small architectural competition which was and the first Australian site to be 1933 placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage awarded to Bates, Smart & McCutcheon. List. The building was constructed to The commercial palazzo-inspired Buckley & Nunn host the 1880 Melbourne International design is minimal in its decoration. The Men’s Store, Exhibition, but was also the setting for masonry is distinguished by banded rustication, both at the base of the Melbourne the first Parliament of Australia in 1901. 1882 1913 Reed & Barnes was declared the building and along the central windows on all façades. The department store winner of the architectural competition Wilson Hall, Reading Room, Buckley & Nunn provided in May 1878, but interestingly had Significantly, the building incorporated University of Melbourne Melbourne Public Library a concealed panel heating system, which a number of commissions entered the competition under the for the practice during the pseudonym ‘Advance’. The original Wilson Hall at the University The design for the great domed was considered innovative for the time. The project is noteworthy as it was late 1920s to early 1930s. The building which remains of Melbourne was completed in 1882 Reading Room at the Melbourne Public After working on the largely intact today, has a cruciform and was viewed as one of the finest Library aligned with the debate over one of Sir Osborn McCutcheon’s first major commissions and helped to sustain larger department store plan and an impressive great central examples of Gothic Revival architecture whether to introduce the Dewey Decimal on Bourke Street, Bates, dome. It is regarded as one of the in Melbourne. Classification System to the library. the firm through the Great Depression. The project received an Australian Smart & McCutcheon was greatest buildings to be completed As the ceremonial heart of the It was believed that a circular space appointed to transform by Reed & Barnes. university, Wilson Hall was a highly could accommodate the system more Institute of Architects Award for New Buildings in 1932. 294 Bourke Street into revered building. It was considered an successfully and this helped the plan an exclusive men’s store. absolute tragedy when it was destroyed receive approval. Completed in 1933 and by fire in 1952. Innovative for the time, the dome was distinguished by its Jazz designed in reinforced concrete and for Related Moderne style, the building a short time was the largest reinforced Project features a striking black concrete dome in the world. The project (1956) façade, chevron detailing was officially opened on the 14th of and three figurative relief October 1913. panels at the top of the Unfortunately, leakage problems in building. the late 1950s resulted in the addition The building received of a roof lining that blocked the skylights. an Australian Institute of In 2003, the original skylights were Architects Award for New restored, thereby returning the space Buildings in 1934. Today to its former splendour. the building forms part The Reading Room marked the of the department store, last major building for Bates, Peebles David Jones. & Smart before the beginning of World War I in 1914. Related Project (1864) 1880 1951 Walter Gropius, Founder 1939–1945 of the Bauhaus School World War II visits Osborn McCutcheon 1938 1957 MLC Building, MLC Building, North Sydney Sydney In the post-war period, the Mutual Life In 1937, Bates, Smart and Citizens Assurance Company (MLC) & McCutcheon won emerged with a series of office building the open competition commissions across Australia for Bates, to design the Mutual Smart & McCutcheon. Life and Citizens These buildings were distinguished Assurance Company by their innovative construction methods (MLC) building, and the significant developments made situated on the corner in prefabrication. of Martin Place and The most notable of these commissions Castlereagh Streets was the North Sydney building completed in Sydney. The in 1957. The building features an H-shaped 1958 1958 building incorporates floor plan and a nearly 100 metre-long ICI House, Melbourne 366 St Kilda façade. It was considered an exemplar for a prominent corner Road, Melbourne tower, complete with both modular construction and the use ICI House, currently known as Orica House, of the aluminium curtain wall. At the time the MLC emblem, and is considered Australia’s first skyscraper. In 1958 Bates, Smart of completion it was the largest office a relief sculpture of The building was the first to break & McCutcheon moved building in Australia. a man breaking sticks Melbourne’s height restrictions, thereby to a new, purpose-built on his knee. The setting a precedent for taller buildings office at 366 St Kilda within the city.