Fine Examples of Decorative Buildings Lost to Melbourne

The art of decorative moulding on buildings has been around for a long, long time. Melbourne sadly has demolished many examples of beautiful buildings greatly enhanced by intricate, decorative architectural mouldings. Most of the buildings featured in this blog by the Finishing Touch would be unknown to people today. One of the earliest built of these classic, old buildings was the Oriental Bank in 1856 on the corner of Queen Street and Flinders Lane.

The city was only twenty years old and Queen Street was a muddy track. A competition was held by the bank amongst Melbourne’s architects and the winner was this Greek temple themed design. Unfortunately, the bank went out of business in 1884 and the building was demolished.

Scott’s Hotel was the destination for Melburnians who enjoyed the finest food and wine and became Melbourne’s oldest continuously operating hotel. Built at 444 Collins Street in 1860, and substantially remodelled between 1910 and 1914.

Dame Nellie Melba and English cricket legend W.G.Grace were among many notable people who stayed there until it was sold to the Royal Insurance Co in 1961. It has since been demolished and office blocks put up in its place.

Built in 1867 at 140 William Street to accommodate the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh, the Menzies Hotel was another of Melbourne’s most impressive luxury hotels.

Sarah Bernhardt, Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, Herbert Hoover and General Douglas Macarthur all stayed there. In 1969 it was demolished to make way for the BHP Plaza.

The grand Federal Hotel and Coffee Palace was built in 1888 to coincide with the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition (marking 100 years of Australian white settlement). Once known as one of the world’s largest and most opulent hotels.

The first two floors housed impressive dining, reading, smoking and billiard rooms, with 5 stories of luxurious guest accommodation. The interior was so striking that the building became a tourist attraction.

Demolished in 1973, the site sold for redevelopment despite pleas to have it saved as a heritage building.

The Queen Victoria Building on Swanston Street between Bourke and Collins Streets was built in 1888, opposite the town hall. A rare local example of French Second Empire architecture, the elaborate facade and roof of the building was further ornamented by a number of statues, including one of Queen Victoria herself.

Housing high end retail shops it featured a glass topped arcade that ran between Bourke and Collins, named The Queens Walk. In the late 1960’s the Melbourne City Council demolished this and several other buildings to create City Square.

The Fishmarket building was built in 1890, situated between King Street and Spencer Street. It was probably the most spectacular of these lost buildings. Built in 1890 it was used as a commercial market for fish and other fresh produce.

Prior to the Olympic Games held in Melbourne in 1956 a number of Melbourne’s older buildings were demolished to ‘modernise’ the look of the city. This building was a casualty and was replaced by a carpark!

These buildings are delightfully decorative with the addition of decorative mouldings created from stone. These days, with the introduction of lightweight, decorative mouldings suburban homes can carry a touch of the splendour and grandeur of these classic designs. The Finishing Touch are the go-to supplier for builders of homes in Melbourne who want quality, long lasting, lightweight architectural mouldings.

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Lightweight Decorative Mouldings For French Provincial or Post-Modern Styles

French provincial Finishing Touch decorative mouldings.

Two French provincial houses, each sixty squares are being built in North Balwyn. The style will be greatly enhanced with the use of the Finishing Touch French provincial decorative mouldings. Each house will use exactly the same lightweight, exterior mouldings:

60 metres of French provincial parapet, model # P4300, sized 300mm x 285mm, 64.8 metres of French provincial flatband, model # M28, sized 500mm x 30mm, 62 metres of French provincial flatband, model # DGB1003, sized 100mm x 30mm, 50.4 metres of French provincial plinths model # DGPL400P, sized 400mm x 55mm and 8.4 metres of French provincial revealed plain window sills, model # M13, sized 144mm x 175mm.

A thirty square post-modern home in East Ringwood is under development. Arches will be a strong feature in this design with requirements for 86 metres of window arches, model # W 22, sized 100mm x 30mm for fifteen windows along with 18 metres of window sills, model # WS5R2, sized 133mm x 91mm and two arches, model # W22, one arch 1400mm diameter, the other 1700mm diameter. Three keystones, model # GK3, will top the arches. The build will also use 31.2 metres of parapet moulding, model # P7180, sized 180mm x 95mm and 29.2 metres of stringer, model # M22, sized 180mm x 45mm,

A very well-known builder has sourced decorative mouldings from the Finishing Touch for a property in Clyde. He is completing the build with a number of flatband designs – 9.6 metres of flatband, model # M27, sized 250mm x 30mm, 2.4 metres of flatband, model # M29, sized 170mm x 130mm and 9.6 metres of flatband, model # DGB100, sized 100mm x 20mm.

Another builder has ordered decorative mouldings from the Finishing Touch for a property in East Kew. The façade will be enhanced by 180 metres of parapet, model # P8200, sized 200mm x 155mm and 400mm beneath it a smaller parapet, model # P8155, sized 155mm x 120mm. Windows will be decorated with 171 metres of window architraves, model # W1100, sized 100mm x 45mm and 48.6 metres of window sill, model # WSR15, sized 135mm x 185mm. To install the lightweight, exterior mouldings the builder has ordered 15 cans of Touch’n’Seal.

 

Post-Modern Units Require Decorative Mouldings

Units are the order of the day recently with enquiry coming into the Finishing Touch for decorative mouldings for three lots of units in Glen Waverly, Murrumbeena and Box Hill North.

Two post-modern units, 30 squares each in Glen Waverley, that are under development, require 106 metres of under gutter moulding, model # PE70, sized 70mm x70mm. To complete the post-modern style they also require 106 metres of stringer (flat), model # S19A, sized 260mm x 90mm and 122 metres of stringer, model # S19, sized 120mm x 89mm.

Another two units under development, 30 squares each in the post-modern style are located in Murrumbeena. They require 55m of parapet moulding, model # P8250, sized 250mm x 195mm, 55m of flatband, model # M120, sized 120mm x 30mm and 106 metres of flatband, model # DGBO75, sized 75mm x 20mm.

Three double storey units, 20 squares each, post-modern design located in Box Hill North are also under development. They require 82 metres of parapet mouldings, model # P8155, sized 155mm x 120mm, 82 metres of stringer, model # S6R2, sized 55mm x 27mm, 107 metres of window architraves, model # W1100, sized 100mm x 45mm, 34 metres of window sills, model # WS15, sized 130mm x 65mm.

A builder has enquired about Finishing Touch high quality decorative mouldings for a property in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, currently under development. This build needs 116 metres of window architraves, model # W22, sized 100mm x 30mm, 42 metres of window header, model # W190JV, sized 180mm x 190mm and 9 metres of flatband, model # DGBI003, sized 100mm x 30mm.

Check out Finishing Touch decorative mouldings here.