Demolished Sydney
Image: Demolishing Hoffnung's building, Pitt Street.
The skyline full of cranes around Sydney might suggest it is undergoing an unprecedented building frenzy, yet construction booms such as this have occurred at regular intervals throughout the city’s history. Demolished Sydney is a retrospective exhibition currently on at the Museum of Sydney, featuring photos and artefacts from 13 iconic buildings that no longer exist.
The exhibition spans the period from 1882 through to the early 2000’s, and includes details not only about architecture, but about the eco-systems around and within the buildings, the society of the time, the circumstances that led to their demise and the buildings that replaced them.
As curator Dr Nicola Teffer describes it: “It’s about the life of the buildings, the life that happened inside the buildings as well as the fabric of the buildings themselves.”
Among stories presented are that of the Garden Palace, a palatial exhibition building situated in the Royal Botanical Gardens, built in 1879 and destroyed by a spectacular fire only three years later. Also, the prestigious Australia Hotel in the centre of the CBD, host to many international celebrities. It was flanked by Rowe Street, a bohemian hub of alternative culture, upmarket shops and trendy cafes. Both hotel and street gave way to the MLC Centre and tower in 1971.
Relics range from the evocative, like an archway sign from the Regent Theatre, to the somewhat disconcerting, such as a sign from the Kent Brewery asking workers not to spit into the maltings.
There is no overt commentary, but Dr Teffer says the exhibit should prompt people to think:
“What do we lose and what do we keep in order for our cities to be dynamic, adaptable places that deliver us what we want? I don’t think anyone wants a city that never changes.” (RB)
Until Apr 17, open daily 10am–5pm. Museum Of Sydney, cnr Phillip and Bridge Streets, Sydney. $8-$12. Info: www.sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/museum-of-sydney
BY RITA BRATOVICH
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