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Graham, J (1997) Sydney Architecture: Watermark Press:
Sydney
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ar·chi·tec·turenoun /ˈärkiˌtekCHər/
architectures, plural
The art or practice of designing and
constructing buildings
The style in which a building is designed or
constructed, esp. with regard to a specific
period, place, or culture- Victorian architecture
The discipline dealing with the principles of
design and construction and ornamentation of
fine buildings; "architecture and eloquence are
mixed arts whose end is sometimes beauty and
sometimes use"
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Pre-Colonial Period 30,000 BC – 1788 AD
 Old Colonial Period 1788 - c. 1840
 Victorian Period c. 1840 - c. 1890
 Federation Period c. 1890 - c. 1915
 Inter-War Period c. 1915 - c. 1940
 Post-War Period c. 1940–1960
 Late 20th Century 1960–2000
 21st century 2001 --
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110 George Street North, The Rocks 1815-16 (possibly)
Francis Greenway
With this one exception, all the smaller non-descript buildings of
the period of first settlement at Sydney Cove have vanished. This
sandstone structure was built in 1815-16 as the ‘Coxswain’s
Barracks’ attached to Governor Macquarie’s dockyard and stores
on the shores of Sydney Cove.
The present name comes from John Cadman, who took up
residence there in 1827. The building has largely survived
because of constant Government or institutional ownership, first
as a barracks, then as Cadman’s residence as superintendent of
Government Craft (1826-45). From 1845-64, it was the Water
Police Headquarters, and, from 1865-1970, the Sydney Sailors’
Home Trust. Restoration began in 1972 and the building is now
used as an information centre by the National Parks and Wildlife
Service.
Graham, J (1997) Sydney Architecture: Watermark Press: Sydney
It is Sydney's oldest
surviving house and was
built for the Coxswain
and crew, the Coxswain
being the person in
charge or command of
the boats.
The building was cut
into a natural rock shelf
and had a small sandy
beach in the front. it is
now set well set back
from the water's edge
due to land reclamation
in The Rocks area. The
plain Georgian design
was copied from English
pattern books and
constructed using local
materials.
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Macquarie Street, Sydney 1811-14 architect unknown
The Mint Museum and the NSW Parliament House are the two surviving ‘bookend
wings’ of the very early triple wing General Hospital commenced in 1811, barely 20
years after first settlement. Refused both funding and permission by London,
Governor Macquarie accepted a proposition by three businessmen to provide a
hospital in exchange for three years’ exclusive rights to the importation of rum.
The architect is unknown, but the design is typical of barracks designed by military
engineers for warmer climates. Unfortunately, the buildings were badly built by the
entrepreneurs, using stone-faced rubble rather than solid stone and faulty roof
framing design, which was later rectified by Francis Greenway. The entire centre wing,
erected on poor foundations, was demolished in 1879. (As the result of an 1880
competition, a new building was erected in its place to accommodate the Sydney
Hospital. The two veranda-faced wings, originally surgeons’ barracks, are what remain
today.
A branch of the Royal Mint was located in the southern building from 1852-1927,
immediately after the New South Wales gold rush, making it the first British currency
mint established outside Britain. After 1927, when the Mint moved to Canberra, a
variety of taxation and judicial offices were haphazardly housed inside. The building
was repaired and conserved between 1975 and 1982.
Bennelong Point, Sydney 1957-63 Joern Utzon (Stage 1)
1963-73 (NSWGA), Hall Todd & Littlemore (Stage 2) - interiors and glass walls)
An extraordinary site on Sydney Harbour at Bennelong Point, an ambitious state
Premier (Joseph J Cahill), a visiting American architect (Eero Saarinen) and a young
Dane’s billowy sketches (Joern Utzon) were the key factors which generated one of
the world’s most important modern buildings.
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Designed at the vast scale of the harbour
itself, its low edges contain enough visual
appeal for human interest. More remarkable
is that the scheme makes no reference to
history or to classical architectural forms.
The roof is more important than the walls,
consequently the language of walls columns, divisions, windows and pediments
- has been effectively dispensed with. As a
public building, it conceals its usage in its
lack of historical associations, and restores
the concept of the ‘monument’ as being
acceptable in social terms.
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The Sydney Opera House also embodies timeless popular
metaphors. The building’s organic shape and lack of
surface decoration have made it both timeless and
ageless. Moreover, it demonstrates how buildings can add
to environmental experience rather than detract from it something of spiritual value independent of function. The
building and the setting look orchestrated, and the
synergy between the setting and the building make it
appear that the scheme actually involved flooding the
harbour valley to set the building off to best advantage.
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Despite so much richness, the building has had virtually no influence on
the shape and form of Australian buildings which followed. It remains
something of an enigma which crowns the silent collapse of Western
Classical architecture from being the one language for great public
buildings.
Joern Utzon’s historic resignation causes a furore and divided the Sydney
architecture profession. There were rallies and marches to Sydney Town
Hall led by architects such as Peter Killar and Harry Seidler; other
architects resigned their profession and became teachers, chefs, film
makers and artists in protest, and the Victorian Chapter of the RAIA (but
not NSW) black banned the replacement of Uzton by an Australian
architect.
However, as with Governor Macquarie, Greenway, Light, Barnet and
Griffin before him, Utzon’s vision had exceeded the norm. The immense
difficulties of achievement were seen as a waste and the importance of
controlling the state’s expenditure won the day. On 19 April 1966, the
new architectural team (Lionel Todd, David Littlemore, and Peter Hall)
was appointed in a whirlpool of debate.
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