The fabbo #DomedBankingChamber, I should have had my wide angle, so here’s a horizontal and a video ! And what I said in 2016 : The extraordinary and somewhat spookily lit ‘domed banking chamber’, was originally the banking hall of the head branch of the Commercial Bank of Australia (which I remember as ‘the CBA’). Built 1891-1893, started at the height of the #landboom, and opened in the middle of the crash. They had to close their huge cast iron gates for a week, but survived. The dome was designed by #LloydTayler (the outside by Alfred Dunn) and boy what a statement, a cross ribbed baroque dome inspired by #guarinoguarini, with those interior ornate #serliana window things, very very richly modelled as they say.

In 1990 an #officeblock was plonked on top (with a hole inside to accommodate the dome), the counters taken out, and the whole thing painted up like this (presumably the original colours), this odd lighting scheme added, and now it’s a foyer.

If you go into the 1893 #DomedBankingChamber, just inside you’ll see this on both sides – they’re bits of the actual #counters that used to line up under the dome, they kept these samples, which is nice. Complete with brass grills and even the booths behind, with doors etc, showing a bit of #wearandtear, which is also nice. The whole thing designed by #LloydTayler, presumably also the counters, a bit of #queenanne foil to the Baroque extravaganza of the dome.

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