#hiddensydney

Sydney seen differently

[sydneyhidden]

My final #SydneyOpen stop for 2015 was the Reserve Bank of Australia. Designed by the Commonwealth Department of Works, it opened in 1964. The 20-storey building includes a double-height grand lobby with granite-faced columns and a futuristic ceiling of gold-anodised aluminium. The first governor of the bank, Dr HC 'Nugget' Coombs, loved the arts and helped build much of the bank's art collection. This includes the internal wall art by sculptor Bim Hilder and the abstract modernist sculpture in the Martin Place forecourt by Australian-American artist Margel Hinder. The building was constructed in an International-style of architecture using many naturally sourced Australian materials including timber and stone. The bank's boardroom desk is so large it had to be lifted into the tower using a crane towards the completion of the external shell. Sadly, the building's construction meant many original terraces on the corner of Martin Place and Macquarie Street had to be demolished to make way for the new development. See more at fb.com - hiddensydney #hiddensydney #SydneyIsOpen #city #cbd #ReserveBankOfAustralia #MaritnPlace #bank #architecture #lobby #granite #art #sculpture#skyscraper #skyline #tower #highrise #building (at Reserve Bank of Australia)

[sydneyhidden]

#SydneyOpen stop 11: The Nightingale Wing is the oldest building in the Sydney Hospital complex. A four-storey Gothic Revival building, it was designed by Thomas Rowe and approved by Florence Nightingale. It was constructed to house Miss Lucy Osburn and five nurses sent from England at the request of Sir Henry Parkes. Lucy Osburn arrived in March 1868 and commenced the first Nightingale School of Nursing in the Nightingale Wing. Just one month after taking up her new position as lady superintendent in the Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary, she was called upon to manage the care of Prince Alfred, third in line to the British throne, after he was shot in an assassination attempt at Clontarf. Osburn went on to establish modern nursing in NSW under the Nightingale principles of super cleanliness, good ventilation, healthy food and excellent care. She was determined to bring the hospital up to standard, despite repeated challenges from bureaucrats. See more at fb.com - hiddensydney #hiddensydney #SydneyIsOpen #city #cbd #NightingaleWing #SydneyHospital #FlorenceNightingale #hospital #nurse #gothic #revival #architecture #infirmary #throne #assassination #modern #nursing#cleanliness #health #care #challenges #bueaucrates (at Sydney Hospital)

[sydneyhidden]

#SydneyOpen spot 10: At just 12 storeys, Sydney's first skyscraper caused outrage when it was finished in 1912. NSW Parliament heard it was a brickstack and an eyesore and others described it as a hulking mass, a fire hazard, a potential harbour of disease, the beginning of the end and the start of a New York skyline for Sydney. Concerns were so strong that Culwulla Chambers became the catalyst for the Height of Buildings Act 1912, which saw legislation limit the height of buildings to under 150 feet (46 metres). The act was not repealed for 45 years and effectively limited the city's vertical growth to that of a country town. Today the 50-metre tall chambers are dwarfed by the CBD's newer structures. Some such as Chifley Tower stand almost five times taller. The chambers house some of Sydney's top barristers and remains little changed. It houses an intact polychrome brick facade with sandstone trim to the second floor, and projects bay windows and arches to the eighth floor with a simple curved decorative parapet. The building was designed in the federation free style by Spain, Cosh & Minnett and includes many of this style's identifying elements such as the striped brick and stone facade with distorted classical features. Costing £100,000, it featured revolutionary inclusions such as high-speed lifts. An additional top floor was added in 1983 and the ground floor lobby returned to its former glory in a 2008 refurbishment. See more at fb.com - hiddensydeny #hiddensydney #SydneyIsOpen #city #cbd #CulwullaChambers #CastlereaghStreet #KingStreet #skyscraper #architecture #tower #offices #chambers #barristers #outrage #controversy #brickstack #eyesore #hulk #skyline #development #contrast #legislation #limit #restriction #dwarfed #facade #sandstone #federation #classical (at Culwulla Chambers)

[sydneyhidden]

#SydneyOpen stop nine: Legion House was constructed in 1902. There were two buildings previously on the site when it was bought by the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). No 161 Castlereagh Street originally operated as a governess' institute and then a registry office. It was a two storey, six room brick building with a slate roof. This link with labour was maintained while the site was owned by the YWCA. A labour bureau was located at the site until some time between 1920 and 1925. Next door at 163 was one of the block's several transport operations, a horse bazaar. It was a brick building with an iron roof. Legion House was operated by the YWCA as a women's hostel and outreach service for over 60 years. The YWCA was established in Sydney during the early 1880s and within the next decade, established branches in most suburbs throughout the metro area. As a major women's organisation it sponsored members who were sent as missionaries to China and India, participated in charities set up to aid and control Sydney's destitute during the 1890s Depression, held fund raising social functions and published a regular newsletter. The organisation's first headquarters were in Wynyard Square. In 1902 it purchased 161-163 Castlereagh Street, demolishing the existing buildings and commissioning Harry C Kent to design a brick building of four floors and 55 rooms with an iron roof. It is not clear when the YWCA left the building. Between 1920 and 1925 the building became known as Crowle House with various tenants, including a garage, a book club, a cookery school and the Victoria League of NSW and WA Crowle. From the early years of the Depression the building was known as Legion House. See more and get the full story at fb.com - hiddensydney #hiddensydney #SydneyIsOpen #city #cbd #LegionHouse #CastlereaghStreet #architecture #governess #labour #horse #bazaar #women #hostel #outreach #missionaries #charity #headquarters #destitute (at Legion House, Sydney)

[sydneyhidden]

#SydneyOpen stop eight: Today's City of Sydney Fire Station on Castlereagh Street was more than 65 years in the making thanks to lengthy approvals. The original 1887 building was made in the style of Victorian free classical architecture and was based on the design expertise of the London Metropolitan Fire Brigade. Designed by colonial architect James Barnet, the establishment of a fire station brought UK innovations to the Australian colony. In 1907, the original building was extended along Castlereagh Street to the north. In 1923, the old boot factory next door was converted into a gymnasium, carpentry shop, workshops and dormitory. In the same year, as Sydney boomed in the roaring 1920s, the ground floor was converted with two new engine bays to house a fleet of new motorised fire engines. Despite urgent calls in 1934 for a larger station, it wasn't until 1999, on the cusp of the Sydney Olympics, that an application was finally approved to refurbish and re-use the site. Construction of the new station was completed in 2003, along with restoration of the original building and stonework. See more at fb.com - hidensydney #hiddensydney #SydneyIsOpen #city #cbd #CityOfSydneyFireStation #CastlereaghStreet #architecture #colony #colonial #architect #JamesBarnet #victorian #classical #design #innovation #boom #approvals #delay (at City of Sydney Fire Station)

[sydneyhidden]

My seventh #SydneyOpen day took a different turn when I headed from Chippendale into the CBD to see the inside of some city's most loved and loathed buildings. Another recently featured #hiddensydney building, the Sydney Masonic Centre was as equally as interesting inside as it is outside. Despite the perceived secrecy of the Freemasons, people were free to room the various rooms and collection of archives and artefacts spanning more than 200 years. Rooms included a museum, gallery and library of the Freemasons. The foyer of the centre has a floor of travertine which has been sourced from Italy and Portugal. The building was designed by Joseland Gilling as the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of NSW and the ACT of Ancient, Free and Accepted Freemasons. See more at fb.com - hiddensydney #hiddensydney #‎SydneyIsOpen ‪#‎city ‪#‎cbd ‪#‎SydneyMasonicCentre #CastlereaghStreet #GoulburnStreet #freemasons #‎architecture ‪#‎design #headquarters #brutalism #archives #artefacts #library #museum #gallery (at Sydney Masonic Centre)

[sydneyhidden]

My sixth #SydneyOpen stop was the UTS Faculty of Science and School of Good Health Building. Inspired by a ripple in a grove of trees, the external cladding of the undulating facade is made from 75 per cent recycled glass, dotted with 700 box windows. The building's ripples draw light as deeply as possible into the campus' new heart, Alumni Green, which the building overlooks. Designed by @durbachblockjaggers in association with @architecturebvn, the building spans eight levels, including three underground. A wide concrete stairway connects levels two to seven and is the building's main artery. A light-well created by a skylight on the roof above the spiral stairway combines with a mosaic tile wall, consisting of 950sqm of small pastel tiles from Spain. The green auditorium features ceiling lights repurposed from glass laboratory flasks. The building has earned a six-star Green Star design rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, due in part to the recycled glass cladding, as well as the roof garden and 27,000-litre rainwater tanks. See more at fb.com - hiddensydney #‎hiddensydney‬ ‪#‎SydneyIsOpen‬ ‪#‎ultimo‬ ‪#‎broadway‬ ‪#‎intercity ‬‪#‎TheUniversityOfTechnologySydney‬ ‪#‎UTS‬‪ #‎FacultyOfScienceAndSchoolOfGoodHealthBuilding‬ ‪#‎architecture‬ ‪#‎design #ripple‬‪ #‎building‬ ‪#‎education‬ ‪#‎university‬ ‪#‎science #laboratory ‬‪#‎students‬ ‪#‎staff‬ ‪#‎learning‬ (at UTS: Science)

[sydneyhidden]

#SydneyOpen spot five: Another UST landmark building, the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology opened in mid-2014. It signled a new era in UTS' expansion and the general redevelopment of the Chippendale area. The first and largest of three state-of-the-art buildings featuring in UTS's $1 billion plus City Campus Master Plan, the structure is wrapped in an aluminium screen perforated with a binary code of noughts and ones and the exterior is broken by gills. At night, the building is lit by green LEDs. With capacity for more than 5000 students and staff, it features research and learning spaces, robotics, computer and human-centred design labs, and a 3D data visualisation facility, all set around a light-filled, crevasse-like atrium. The atrium runs through the building's heart, providing natural light and pedestrian access via a series of stairs and escalators. The building functions as a living laboratory, displaying real-time data on its performance for research and teaching purposes. The building also forms a gateway to the university, to the Broadway precinct and the city itself. The building, designed by Melbourne-based firm Denton Corker Marshall (DCM). It has a five-star Green Star design rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, with a rooftop wind turbine, solar panels and solar-concentrating troughs among other sustainable design features. See more at fb.com - hiddensydney #hiddensydney #SydneyIsOpen #ultimo #broadway #innercity #TheUniversityOfTechnologySydney #UTS #FacultyOfEngineeringAndInformationTechnology #architecture #design #building #education #university #engineering #information #technology #redevelopment #aliminium #students #staff #learning #robotics #computer #labs (at UTS: Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology)

[sydneyhidden]

#SydneyOpen stop number four was another recent #hiddensydney feature, only this time I was able to explore the building’s inside. You may not be a fan of the outside, but what do you think of the interior? #hiddensydney #SydneyIsOpen #ultimo #broadway #innercity #TheUniversityOfTechnologySydney #UTS #UTStower #tower #interior #inside #architecture #design #building #controversial #hated #debate #loved #skyscraper #education #university (at UTS: University of Technology Sydney)

[sydneyhidden]

Also located in the @kensington_st precinct was my third #SydneyOpen stop at the @theoldclare. Remembered most recently as a kitsch hangout for UTS students and nearby workers, the former Clare Hotel has been reborn. Now made up of two heritage-listed buildings, the Clare Hotel and Carlton and United Breweries former administration building have been stitched together by a new glazed cube structure to form a boutique hotel. The hotel has 62 hotel rooms and suites, a rooftop pool, day spa, meeting rooms and three restaurants. Rooms have been designed to showcase original existing high ceilings, heritage timber panelling and original exposed walls. The original hotel building is also set to get an extra floor, with the project forming a centrepiece in the Kensington Street Precinct and $2 billion Central Park redevelopment. The original Clare Hotel was built in 1859 and designed by Sidney Warden. It was called Ryan's Hotel during its design phase as this was the name of the predecessor pub on the site. Named the County Clare Inn when it opened, it burnt down and was rebuilt in 1938. The name later changed to Hotel Clare and again to County Clare Inn in 1966. In the early 1990s it was known as the Keg Room before again being renamed the Clare Hotel in the 2000s. Get the full story and see more at fb.com - hiddensydney #hiddensydney #SydneyIsOpen #KensingtonStreet #chippendale #broadway #innercity #TheOldClareHotel #hotel #pub #heritage #boutique #transformation #kitsch #students #workers #reborn #design #architecture #redevelopment #food #drink #brewery #facade #detailing #tiles (at The Old Clare Hotel)

[sydneyhidden]

My second #SydneyOpen stop was at the city's newest inner city laneway. Yet @kensington_st actually dates back to the 1800s. A row of 16 heritage-listed terraces and two warehouses have been transformed into what its developer dubbed 'Sydney's first dedicated laneway precinct'. It forms part of the $2 billion Central Park village in the Chippendale redevelopment. Arts philanthropist Dr Stanley Quek bought the entire Kensington Street for the purpose of reinvigorating it. Originally there were plans to rename the street 'Kensington Lane' but this idea was dumped by the developer in favour of the original name. The dilapidated row of buildings includes some of Sydney's oldest surviving terraces dating from the 1840s, located next to the former Carlton and United Brewery site. Many of the original buildings were used by the brewery to house its senior managers. The rear gardens of the terraces open into a series of interconnected courtyards. The retail space opened in September this year with the terraces reborn as restaurants, cafes, small bars, markets, artists, galleries and shops. The redevelopment has helped make the precinct Sydney's newest 'eat street' thanks to the hawker market-style 'Spice Alley' specialising in cheap Asian food. Saving the terraces was critical to Kensington Street, after they became isolated by surrounding development. They now live on intact with many original features, including joinery and staircases. Inside you will be transported to the early settler days of Sydney, when houses, rum stores and stables sat side by side. Other key heritage elements have been saved including the former Carlton and United Brewery offices and warehouses and the former Clare Hotel. See more at fb.com - hiddensydney #hiddensydney #SydneyIsOpen #SydneyOpen #KensingtonStreet #SpiceAlley #chippendale #city #innercity #heritage #terraces #architecture #hawker #markets #asian #food #restaurants #cafes #smallbars #markets #artists #galleries #transformation #development #alley #laneway #precinct (at Kensington Street)

[sydneyhidden]

My first #SydneyOpen stop was one of the first places featured by hiddensydney. The first time I photographed Mortuary Station was from outside the entrance Regent Street. This time I was able to access the station's platform and view it's waiting rooms, bathrooms and signage. This year there were more than 50,000 visits to buildings during the Sydney Open event according to @sydlivmus. The most popular was Mortuary Station, with more than 3400 visitors. See more at fb.com - hiddensydney #hiddensydney #SydneyIsOpen #chippendale #city #innercity #MoutuaryStation #station #train #transport #gothic #necropolis #mortuary #death #funeral #cemetery #graveyard #mourners #heritage #historical #restoration #ornate (at Regent Street railway station)

[sydneyhidden]

#hiddensydney is back for the next couple of weeks sharing my highlights from yesterday's Sydney Open #hiddensydney #SydneyIsOpen #city #ultimo #broadway #TheUniversityOfTechnologySydney #UTS #FacultyOfScienceAndGraduteSchoolOfHealthBuilding #campus #architecture #stairs #education

[sydneyhidden]

#hiddensydney (at Sydney, Australia)

[sydneyhidden]

Kings Cross was once crammed with theatres and cinemas. A surviving relic is the Art Deco Metro building, located on Orwell Street in Potts Point. Designed by Bruce Dellit in 1937, construction took one-year and the theatre opened in 1939. Previously known as the Minerva Theatre, it was part of a live entertainment complex called the Minerva Centre. This consisted of the Minerva Theatre, The Minerva Cafe and Nightclub (later the 2KY radio studios) and Metro Chambers, an office and apartment building. They were all designed to sit harmoniously on blocks of land fronted by Macleay Street and continuing down Orwell Street. In the 1960s it was the venue for the musical Hair. The musical opened in 1969 and had six African Americans in its cast including singer Marcia Hines, who was 16. The production ran until 1971 despite initial fears it would be censored or shut down. Greater Union bought the building in the 1970s and continued live performances with occasional film screenings. In 1979, the building was sold to become a supermarket and was stripped of its fittings. The supermarket failed in the early 1980s. The building remained empty until it was bought in 1982 and was converted into a soundstage and recording facility. It has been restored and is the headquarters of Kennedy Miller, makers of the Mad Max, Happy Feet and Babe movies. While you can no longer see films at the Metro, the building has been featured in various films and music videos #hiddensydney #PottsPoint #KingsCross #EastSydney #MetroTheatre #MinervaTheatre #OrwellStreet #theatre #ArtDeco #architecture #live #entertainment #cafe #nightclub #musical #hair #production #fears #controversial #censored #performances #restored #headquarters #films #movies (at 24 Orwell Street)

[sydneyhidden]

Civic Tower and Sydney Masonic Centre (SMC) on the corner of Castlereagh and Goulburn streets, are together one of Sydney's most controversial buildings. The centre was built between 1975 and 79 and the 24-storey tower, which appears to float above, are examples of 1970s brutalist architecture. Yet the two were built 25 years apart, with the tower designed in 1974 and completed in 2004. For many years, the SMC remained a stark concrete facade. A glassed-in cafeteria was added later to soften the building's street level appearance. When the airspace above the centre was purchased, plans were for a contemporary glass tower, but these were scraped in favour of the original design. The brutalist movement started in England in the 1950s, but did not filter through to Australia until much later. Brutalism influenced a number of buildings constructed in the CBD during the '70s, many of which still divide the public opinion. These buildings include the Supreme Court and Elizabeth Street law school, and the former Sydney Water building on Bathurst Street. Civic Tower and Sydney Masonic Centre were designed by Joseland Gilling as the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of NSW and the ACT of Ancient, Free and Accepted Freemasons #hiddensydney #city #cbd #CivicTower #SydneyMasonicCentre #CastlereaghStreet #GoulburnStreet #freemasons #architecture #brutalism #highrise #skyscraper #commercial #office #controversial #design #contemporary #influence #headquarters (at Sydney Masonic Centre)

[sydneyhidden]

Built in 1915 by the Sydney Harbour Trust for port workers and the community, the landmark Palisade Hotel was the highest building in Sydney at the time. Many diggers enjoyed their last beer at the hotel before heading for war. It was also used as a lodge for workers building the harbour bridge. Over the years, the hotel has been frequented by many Sydney criminals and characters. In August this year, the 100-year-old hotel reopened as Hotel Palisade after sitting dormant for seven years. It was closed in 2008 for an renovation by the then owner. It sold at auction in March this year for about $20 million. After under going a $5 million renovation by its new owners, the pub is once again being enjoyed by Sydneysiders. The building has a below ground cellar, a ground floor bar, three levels of accommodation made up of nine boutique hotel rooms, a floor with cocktail bar and private function rooms, and a restaurant enclosed in glass on the top. Capping it all off, the hotel boasts sweeping 360 degree views of the Harbour, Millers Point and Barangaroo #hiddensydney #MillersPoint #SydneyHarbour #HotelPalisade #PalisadeHotel #pub #hotel #beer #cocktails #drinks #accommodation #landmark #icon #view #workers #characters #criminals #renovation #community #cellar #bar #restaurant #boutique #history #heritage #historic (at Hotel Palisade)