Royal Exhibition Building
Royal Exhibition Building | |
---|---|
Victoria | |
Country | Australia |
Coordinates | 37°48′17″S 144°58′17″E / 37.80472°S 144.97139°E |
Elevation | 61 m (200 ft) |
Construction started | 1879 |
Completed | 1880 |
Owner | Victoria State Government |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Joseph Reed |
Other information | |
Public transit access | Tram routes 86, 96 |
Website | |
museumsvictoria | |
Asia-Pacific | |
Australian National Heritage List | |
Type | Historic |
Criteria | a, b, d, e, f, g |
Designated | 20 July 2004 |
Reference no. | 105708 |
Type | Community Facilities |
Criteria | a, b, c, d, e, g |
Designated | 21 March 1982 |
Reference no. | H1501[1] |
Heritage Overlay number | HO69 [1] |
The Royal Exhibition Building is a
It received restoration throughout the 1990s and in 2004 became the first building in Australia to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, being one of the last remaining major 19th-century
History
The Royal Exhibition Building was designed by the
It was built by David Mitchell, who also built Scots' Church and St Patrick's Cathedral. He was also the father of the famed soprano Dame Nellie Melba, who sang at the opening of the Provisional Parliament House in Canberra in 1927. Mitchell was a member of the Council of the Royal Agricultural society and also the Builders and Contractor's association.[8]
The foundation stone was laid by Victorian governor
1880–1901
In the 1880s, the building hosted two major International Exhibitions: The
On 3 September 1901, the Countess of Hopetoun, wife of the Governor-General, announced the winners of a competition to design the Australian National Flag. A large flag, 5.5 metres by 11 metres, was unfurled and flown over the dome of the Royal Exhibition Building.[10]
1901–1979
In 1902, the building hosted the Australian Federal International Exhibition As it decayed, it became known derogatively by locals as The White Elephant in the 1940s Following the outcry over the ballroom demolition, and the appointment of new Trustees and a new Chair in 1983, the heritage of the building began to be seen as important as providing modern space for exhibitions.
The first conservation assessment of the building was undertaken by Alan Willingham in 1987, and over the following decades the Great hall was progressively renovated and restored.[21] In 1996, the then Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett, proposed the location and construction of Melbourne's State Museum in the carpark to the north, which involved the demolition of the 1960s annexes in 1997–98.
The biennial 1980–present
The location of the Melbourne Museum close to the Exhibition Building site was strongly opposed by the Victorian State
On 1 July 2004, the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens was granted listing as a World Heritage Site, the first building in Australia to be granted this status. The heritage listing states that "The Royal Exhibition Building is the only major extant nineteenth-century exhibition building in Australia. It is one of the few major nineteenth-century exhibition buildings to survive worldwide."
In October 2009, Museum Victoria embarked upon a major project to restore the former German Garden of the Western Forecourt. The area had been covered by asphalt in the 1950s for car parking.[24]
Renovations
Renovations include the timber flooring, building services, externals, and stonework. Most timber staircases have been replaced by concrete for safety also, though the site has continued to be very authentic through all renovations. All additions have been removed such as the East and West annexes and the two North structures.[4] The Australian Government has recently granted $20 million for further renovation to protect and promote the Royal Exhibition Building. The South facade will undergo conservation works, the dome of the Great Hall will be repaired and be part of a new experience. The basement will be turned into a curatorial exhibition experience. This will be a place where history is brought to life, and ideas of the future are expanded upon. The Australian Department of Environment and Energy, along with Heritage Victoria, Creative Victoria and Museums Victoria will oversee the projects. The renovations are predicted to be finished by 2020.[25]
Current use
The Royal Exhibition Building is used to this day as an exhibition venue for various festivals and fairs such as Melbourne Fashion Week. During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, the building was used as a mass vaccination centre, operated by St Vincent's Hospital.[26]
The Royal Exhibition Building is used as an exam hall for the
The building is no longer Melbourne's largest commercial exhibition centre. The modern alternative is the
References
- ^ Government of Victoria. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Royal Exhibition building and Carlton Gardens" (PDF). Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ^ a b "Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, World Heritage Management Plan" (PDF). October 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ^ a b "Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens". United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 2004. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ISBN 0-9577471-4-4.
- TheGuardian.com. 6 April 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ^ "The Building". Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ^ Campbell, Joan. Mitchell, David (1829–1916). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ^ The Age Archived 21 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ It's an Honour Archived 19 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- The Argus (Melbourne: 1848–1957). Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 1 November 1902. p. 17. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "WOMEN'S WORK EXHIBITION, MELBOURNE 1907". 4 April 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
- ^ "Melbourne at War – Stop 7". Heritage Council of Victoria. 26 March 2015. Archived from the original on 19 March 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "The Royal Exhibition Building Archived 4 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine" museumvictoria.com.au. URL accessed on 6 November 2007.
- ^ "Who will save Melbourne from the wrecker's ball? Archived 3 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine" theage.com.au 15 March 2004. URL accessed on 5 September 2006.
- ISBN 0-9577471-4-4.
- ^ "The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
- ^ 1956 Summer Olympics official report. Archived 12 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine. p. 43.
- ^ "The Building: Royal Exhibition Building". museumsvictoria.com.au.
- ^ "Museum Victoria" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
- ^ "Global status for our greatest building" Archived 12 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, 21 October 2002. URL accessed on 5 September 2006.
- ^ "Review: Melbourne Art Fair Viewing Rooms". ArtsHub Australia. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ Francis, Hannah (9 July 2019). "Melbourne art fair returns with design flair". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ "World Heritage, World Futures" museumvictoria.com.au. URL accessed on 12 March 2010.
- ^ "Major Project". Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ^ Richards, Tim (11 June 2021). "'It's stunning': Australia's UNESCO World Heritage-listed vaccine hub". Traveller. Retrieved 2 November 2021.