Posts Tagged ‘heritage victoria’

Heritage advocacy organisations in Victoria have been slow to adopt communication technologies, but the National Trust and Heritage Victoria have finally caught up with the times and joined the social media revolution.

Heritage Victoria started tweeting in June last year and more recently the National Trust began tweeting in January this year.  In addition, the National Trust added a fan page on Facebook in April last year.

Melbourne Heritage Watch kicked it all off with our first tweet back in March of last year.

If you appreciate Melbourne’s heritage then these feeds should definitely be high on your following lists as you’ll get many of the updates on the key issues that effect our treasured places.

Thanks to the Save The Windsor campaign run by the National Trust (with the help of Melbourne Heritage Watch), Heritage Victoria has received over 100 submissions regarding the redevelopment proposal.

Apart from the obvious concern about the proposed demolition of much of the heritage listed building, part of the National Trust’s submission raises another point by highlighting the effect of raising the height limits in the Bourke Hill heritage area to accomodate the 25 storey tower.  The National Trust graphic below illustrates the profound effect lifting the height limits will have on the scale of this well preserved Victorian era precinct.  The photo is taken from the top of the Orica building (formerly ICI House) which although once Melbourne’s tallest is actually shorter than the proposed new height limits.  In the scenario taller towers would dominate not only the Windsor, but Spring Street’s historic Parliament House and Princess Theatre.   A similar downscaling effect of taller towers can be seen at  the nearby Treasury precinct.

It is now a matter of waiting to see whether a heritage permit is granted.  If a permit is granted, then the proposal will most likely get a green light by the planning minister.  While Heritage Victoria is not a planning authority, the height limit for the precinct would need to be lifted to accommodate the new tower which would seem likely given the state government’s recent support for the proposal.  While it is too late to object based on heritage grounds, there is still time to express your concerns to the planning minister and the Lord Mayor.

Simulated effect of raising height limits in the Bourke Hill overlay

Will the Windsor Hotel's 27 tower proposal forever change the "Paris End" of Melbourne

The National Trust is standing up to defend the iconic Windsor Hotel from a current application which would see more than half of the heritage listed building demolished to be replaced by two boxy towers, one 27 storeys and breaking height restrictions originally put in place to protect Spring Street’s character.

We posted Windsor Hotel back in developers sights a few months ago while the proposal was just rumblings.  Things have now rapidly progressed and demolition applications were lodged with Heritage Victoria this week, so any objections need to happen – soon.  You have until 5pm Thursday 15 October 2009 in fact.

The state government assures us that the rectangular “shower curtain” design (which is reminiscent of  the international style of nearby1955 ICI House) will be an “elegant” solution as a backdrop to the heritage building.  Melbourne Heritage Watch believes it may well also ruin forever one of Melbourne’s most prized and currently unspoiled picture postcard views.  It certainly looks that way from artists impressions recently released by the National Trust which show a less flattering view than those published by the developers.

The Windsor is currently known as perhaps the Southern Hemisphere’s most charming Victorian era hotels and consequently attracting a niche clientele.  Whether it can trade as a modern hotel competing with contemporary hotels like the new Hilton South Wharf and Crown Metropole remains to be seen.

While the application reveals the extent of restoration work, it also reveals that many of the hotel’s distinctive features will be lost.  Among the changes to the classic hotel – extensive internal remodelling,  glass sliding doors and a modern glass canopy will replace the traditional brass entry and awning and the postmodern Hard Rock Cafe building will be replaced by yet another glass box.

The “Save the Windsor” website was launched this week encouraging Melburnians to have their say on the future of one of our most important cultural assets.

Earlier this year we raised concerns over the future of the Oakleigh Motel.

That future is (for now at least) secured, as common sense prevailed.  Heritage Victoria intervened and the building is now on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Although unbelievably, the developer has appealed the decision.  Let’s hope that with official legal protection this madness doesn’t proceed any futher.

The ABC television news recently ran a story about the demise of Dimmey’s in Richmond including the closure of the store, the planned hi-rise development behind the recently heritage listed tower, facadism and the demolition of the heritage listed “History of Richmond” mural to make way for a new multi-storey carpark.  The video footage features interviews with prominent locals including Mirka Mora.

The Age has also chipped in with an article specifically about the fate of the Hayden Dewar designed mural titled  “Dim Future for Dimmey’s Mural“.

The future of Dimmey’s is now in the hands of Heritage Victoria and a State Government whose planning minister Justin Madden has public stated his willingness to forsake our cultural heritage to stimulate the economy.

It would be a terrible tragedy for Melbourne to lose such an institution and important cultural landmark.