The revitalisation of the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings in Canberra has started with restoration of the buildings’ facades. Repainting has begun on the Melbourne Building at the corner of Alinga Street and Northbourne Avenue, which includes the business frontages of Amici Wine Bar and Deli, Bistro Nguyen’s and Smith’s Alternative.
Recognising the historical significance and unique architecture of the heritage-listed buildings, the facade restoration is a collaborative project between the ACT government and building owners to restore and preserve these cherished Canberra landmarks.
In the ACT Heritage Council’s submission for recognition of the project’s heritage significance, they note that the complex was the earliest major development in Civic – the suburb home to Canberra’s CBD. Australian architect Sir John Sulman designed the Sydney and Melbourne buildings in 1920s, with work finalised by John Hunter Kirkpatrick. For at least thirty years after their completion, they were the only shops in the city’s centre.
The four buildings – which are paired across courtyards on two city blocks – are linked by their Inter-War Mediterranean-style homage to Brunelleschi’s Foundling Hospital in Florence. According to the ACT Heritage Council, the colonnade device which underpins the architecture of the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings is now an important element throughout Canberra’s city centre. Having established “the early character and scale of the city’s retail and business area … [they remain] valued by the community today,” the submission’s Statement of Significance reads.
Unique to the buildings is their protracted construction, in which individual lots were auctioned off and built by individual owners according to the design specifications. As a result, the buildings are privately owned and comprise approximately 100 separate land titles, multiple owners, and no common management body.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr noted, “The Sydney and Melbourne Buildings present a unique challenge due to their large and diverse ownership structure with no common management body. This complexity has led to challenges in maintaining a consistent appearance, worsened by informal and uncoordinated refurbishment efforts.”
Over the last five years, the ACT government has engaged with building owners, businesses, and the broader community about the potential for legislation to maintain the buildings.
Grants from the state government’s City Renewal Authority have been enabled to support building owners to repaint their facades in colours consistent with the original Mediterranean-influenced palette.
A final round of consultation on the legislative process for the buildings’ Revitalisation Plan will open soon to gather feedback on the plan before legislation to maintain the buildings is tabled with the ACT Legislative Assembly. The legislation would allow the government to carry out and charge for the painting works if the building’s owners do not complete it themselves.
The ACT government estimates that the facade repainting of both buildings will take 18 months to complete. The project follows pavement, lighting and infrastructure upgrades to the buildings’ Odgers and Verity Lanes, which were completed in 2023.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
