14 April 2020
Photos Sept 2019
The Athenaeum Club in Collins Street was built in 1929 and designed by architect Cedric Ballantyne (busy with the Regent Theatre at the same time). I think his eclectic composition of Georgian/American Beaux Arts also referred to the Victorian architecture around it at the time, for instance the detail above the first floor windows is a bit too elaborate to be called Georgian, same with having projecting bay windows, and the balustrades at first and second floors.
Ps the inside is great, not that there’s many photos that clearly show it, I’ve been in ages ago and I remember the great cage lift (with protective plastic) and that cameo of Athena, also the first floor front lounge (‘drawing room’), with those huge fireplaces and tall timber pilasters. I don’t recall seeing what looks like a big ballroom and an equally big dining/meeting room with chandeliers, or that last panelled room, but looks great. Seems like they have plenty of events, lots of Insta posts of people there. And yes they even have a basement swimming pool! Some interiors via a brochure I found online.
The 1929 #AthenaeumClub building has some of those elegant #shopwindows only found in the #ParisEnd of #CollinsStreet; designed by #CedricBallantyne in that 1920s stylised vaguely ArtDeco classical, in copper, though oddly one is polished, the other isn’t. Fendi has taken over two shopfronts, and has a neat solution for extra display by infilling the second door.
16 January 2024
Just found these, seems the design changed at least twice, first image 20 Oct 1926, second is 6 July 1927, last was published 7 Nov 1928. At first it was a narrower site, while the second design had an extra floor, and the bay windows got progressively shorter.
Storey of Melbourne 