Original post 1 March 2018:
The 1927 National Bank by #AandKHenderson with its almost matching 1984 extension on the right (built after a long campaign by the #nationaltrust to save whole thing from complete dem for a tower). Strong expression of the #132ftheightlimit imposed 1916 and reimposed 1982. Also the facade recreates the 19thC 2 storey bank formerly on the site, but 5 instead of 3 bays wide, and first floor level recreated 10 floors up !
The original National Bank, built 1870, designed by #LloydTayler. V large and elegant for it’s day, oddly this seems to be the only photo of it. Not to be confused with the Bank of Australasia up the road, built 1874, later known as National Bank of Australasia, and this site became the National Bank of Australia. There were perhaps 9 banks with grand headquarters within the two central blocks of #CollinsStreet by the late 19thC.
September 2026
The 1927 banking chamber of the ex National Bank in Collins Street is very big and ornate, but sadly it now has none of the original grandeur, what with all the reflective glass walls and spotlighting.
Having said that, it was a bit of an odd design in the first place – architects A&K Henderson put in four grand columns with a big rectangular skylight on the middle, so far so good, but it has extra flat bits either side, creating a T shape, so two columns are inner corners, and they’ve got brackets on top, with very complex coffering above that. The balcony all round is very nice, much simpler by comparison.
But it was once had a grand marble stair as a centrepiece, which rather incredibly ‘they’ got a permit to remove in 2005 when it was all to become shops, on the basis that it was added later, in the 1930s when the counters were rearranged to be round the edges rather than in the middle. Crazy both that they wanted to remove it, and were allowed to by Heritage Victoria. If only the whole thing had just become a restaurant /bar, would have stayed a single space, though I suppose that could actually happen one day.
Pics mine yesterday, @library_vic, Melb Heritage Interiors Facebook, and one from 2005 on my computer. I’ll do the exterior another day.
