There is something quite grand about old buildings and in Australia other than your old log cabin hut or blue stone church this is pretty much as old as it gets in relation to government buildings.
The Royal Exhibition Building was built in 1880 not that long ago but Australia is only 220 years old as a western nation. Prior to that it was home to the indigenous population. It's quite a historical significant building.
Located in the beautiful Carlton Gardens in the former CBD centre the building was designed and built by the architect Joseph Reed. He went onto design the Melbourne Town Hall and State Library of Victoria. The building is a unique style and one of Reed's most famous which has been world heritage listed and Australia's first building to be listed on the UNESCO register in 2004.
The style used is eclectic and comprises many influences from Italian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Lombardic renaissance styles. It has further architectural features with the dome itself being modelled from the Florence Cathedral.
The columns and pavilions were inspired by the Rundbogrnstil architecture style with Nomrandy and France being significant influences on the development of the Royal Exhibition Building.
The building has the same scale as as Beaux Arts in France which has a cruciform plan in the shape of the Latin cross and symmetrical east west wings and a shorter building to the north which is the current grand hall and is still in immaculate condition having being restored in the 1990s.
At the front of the building is the Exhibition Foutain which used Portland cement in the construction and designed by Josef Hochgurtel a Cologne man who recently arrived to Melbourne and wanted to settle down and have a life for himself.
Standing at 10 meters tall and with a diameter of 1400cm it is not small fountain but takes pride of place at the entry of the building. The base contains half men and 3 boys one fishing, one scooping water and the other excited at seeing a turtle.
The 2nd tier has 4 boys representing commerce, science, art and industry. The tier above depicts native birds and plants to Victoria and finally the top tier houses a boy with a basket on his head filled with fish.
Originally designed and built for the 1880 international exhibition it was the first building in the world to host electrical works allowing lights to be used during the night and extend exhibition hours. It was a global hit and made headlines across the world.
In 1901 the building was used as the first parliament house at the establishment of the Australian parliament and federation (yes only 120 years of federation prior to that we were an English prison)
The Royal Exhibition Building was not always named so and wasn't until a visit from Princess Alexandra and a plaque unveiling the bestowed title of Royal on behalf of her Majesty the Queen.
Today the grounds are the location of the Melbourne Museum which is a newer section that was built from the demolition of an older section of the building. It is part of the museum and people are able to walk the halls and see the beautiful building in all its glory.
It is still currently used for exhibitions and each year people travel the globe to attend events held at such an iconic building.
The Australian government is investing $20million to further develop and restore the building ensuring its survival throughout Australian history.
A beautiful building in the centre of Melbourne that you must visit to truly appreciate its beauty.
I hope you enjoyed my post and I look forward to seeing posts from other users. Have a wonderful day!
