An analysis of the style and social meaning of classical-style polite architecture in Adelaide

121 Pages·2006·2.33 MB·English

by  Deborah Arthur

The social meaning of
classical style public architecture
th
in Adelaide in the 19 century

HONOURS THESIS

Deborah Arthur
Bachelor of Archaeology

Department of Archaeology
School of Humanities
Flinders University of South Australia
October 2004
CONTENTS

CONTENTS..................................................................................................................i
FIGURES....................................................................................................................iii
TABLES......................................................................................................................vi
DECLARATION........................................................................................................vii
ABSTRACT..............................................................................................................viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................ix
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION...............................................................................1
CHAPTER 2 – STYLE AND SOCIAL MEANING IN ARCHAEOLOGY...............6
Style and social meaning in historical archaeology.....................................................6
Classical style architecture – A background..............................................................11
Classical style architecture in Britain and British colonies........................................17
Classical style architecture in Adelaide......................................................................30
CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY............................................................................37
Study Area..................................................................................................................37
Fieldwork....................................................................................................................38
Variables for Data Collection.....................................................................................40
Problems.....................................................................................................................45
Bias.............................................................................................................................47
Archival Research......................................................................................................47
CHAPTER 4 – CLASSICAL STYLES IN ADELAIDE...........................................48
Social and Functional Variables.................................................................................48
Physical Variables......................................................................................................53
CHAPTER 5 – SOCIAL MEANINGS OF CLASSICAL STYLES..........................65
Explicit Social Meanings............................................................................................66
Implicit Social Meanings............................................................................................77
Adelaide’s Social Meanings.......................................................................................85
CHAPTER 6 – CONCLUSIONS...............................................................................86
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................91
GLOSSARY OF TERMS........................................................................................101

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APPENDIX 1 – CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURAL STYLES...............................109
APPENDIX 2 – CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURAL ORDERS..............................111
APPENDIX 3 – CLASSICAL STYLE BUILDINGS IN OTHER AUSTRALIAN
COLONIES..............................................................................................................118
APPENDIX 4 – GOTHIC BUILDINGS IN ADELAIDE.......................................123
APPENDIX 5 – BUILDING RECORDING FORM...............................................124
APPENDIX 6 – DATABASE OF BUILDINGS RECORDED...............................127
APPENDIX 7 – AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURAL STYLES............................129
APPENDIX 8 – HISTORY OF BUILDINGS IN ADELAIDE...............................132
APPENDIX 9 – ARCHITECTS...............................................................................164

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FIGURES

Figure 1.1 – El Capricho, residence, Barcelona, constructed 1883-1885...................1
Figure 1.2 – Map of Australia, showing location of Adelaide in South Australia......2
Figure 2.1 – Top-down and bottom-up approaches to the study of society..............10
Figure 2.2 – Claude Perrault’s representation of the five architectural orders, c. AD
1676....................................................................................................12
Figure 2.3 – Colosseum, Rome, Italy........................................................................13
Figure 2.4 – Temple of Fortuna Primigenia, Palestrina, Italy...................................16
Figure 2.5 – Theatre of Marcellus, Rome, Italy........................................................16
Figure 2.6 – Cataneo’s Ideal City plan, 1567............................................................34
Figure 2.7 – Torrens Building, Victoria Square........................................................36
Figure 3.1 – J. William’s map of Adelaide showing the town acres.........................38
Figure 3.2 – Tuscan architectural order.....................................................................42
Figure 3.3 – Tuscan architectural order ....................................................................42
Figure 3.4 – Doric architectural order.......................................................................42
Figure 3.5 – Doric architectural order.......................................................................42
Figure 3.6 – Ionic architectural order........................................................................42
Figure 3.7 – Ionic architectural order .......................................................................43
Figure 3.8 – Corinthian architectural order ..............................................................43
Figure 3.9 – Corinthian architectural order...............................................................43
Figure 3.10 – Composite architectural order ............................................................43
Figure 3.11 – Composite architectural order ............................................................44
Figure 3.12 – Other architectural order ....................................................................44
Figure 3.13 – Other architectural order.....................................................................44
Figure 3.14 – Other architectural order.....................................................................44
Figure 4.1 – Functional variables – Original purpose of buildings...........................49
Figure 4.2 – Map of South Adelaide (city centre) and location of buildings............50
Figure 4.3 – Economic conditions in Adelaide and the construction of classical style
buildings.............................................................................................52
Figure 4.4 – Economic conditions in Adelaide and the construction of gothic style
buildings.............................................................................................52
Figure 4.5 – Physical variables – Architectural style................................................55
Figure 4.6 – Architectural styles and periods of their use.........................................57
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Figure 4.7 – Physical variables – Architectural order...............................................59
Figure 4.8 – Architectural orders and periods of their use........................................60
Figure 4.9 – Architectural order and a building’s function.......................................61
Figure 4.10 – Physical variables – Symmetry of buildings.......................................62
Figure 4.11 – Physical variables – Conventional features........................................63
Figure 5.1 – King William Street in 1881, Oil on canvas by Charles Marchand......69
Figure 5.2 – North Terrace, Institute building and State Library, Jervois Wing.......77
Figure A2.1 – Elements of an architectural order...................................................111
Figure A2.2 – Comparative Tuscan Orders by several Renaissance theorists........112
Figure A2.3 – Greek Doric Order and various details.............................................114
Figure A2.4 – Greek Ionic Order and some historical examples............................115
Figure A2.5 – Greek Corinthian Order and some historical examples...................116
Figure A2.6 – Composite Order after Vignola........................................................117
Figure A3.1 – Parliament House, Melbourne..........................................................118
Figure A3.2 – Parliament House, Brisbane.............................................................118
Figure A3.3 – Treasury Building, Melbourne.........................................................119
Figure A3.4 – Treasury Building, Brisbane............................................................119
Figure A3.5 – General Post Office, Sydney............................................................120
Figure A3.6 – Town Hall, Sydney...........................................................................120
Figure A3.7 – Law Courts, Melbourne...................................................................121
Figure A3.8 – Supreme Court, Hobart....................................................................121
Figure A3.9 – National Australian Bank, Brisbane.................................................122
Figure A8.1 – Magistrates Court, c. 1860...............................................................133
Figure A8.2 – Magistrates Court, 2004, northern façade........................................133
Figure A8.3 – Institute building, c. 1864.................................................................135
Figure A8.4 – Institute building, 2004, southern façade.........................................135
Figure A8.5 – Adelaide Club, 2004, northern façade..............................................136
Figure A8.6 – The Gallerie, c. 1903........................................................................137
Figure A8.7 – The Gallerie, 2004, northern façade.................................................137
Figure A8.8 – Supreme Court, c. 1870s..................................................................139
Figure A8.9 – Supreme Court, 2004, northern façade............................................139
Figure A8.10 – Proposed plan for General Post Office, c. 1867.............................142
Figure A8.11 – General Post Office, 2004, southern and eastern facades..............142
Figure A8.12 – Town Hall, c. 1866.........................................................................145
Figure A8.13 – Town Hall, 2004, western façade...................................................145
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Figure A8.14 – Treasury Buildings, c. 1866 (part of original 1839 single storey in
right foreground)...............................................................................147
Figure A8.15 – Treasury Building, 2004, southern façade.....................................147
Figure A8.16 – Botanic Hotel, c. 1880s..................................................................149
Figure A8.17 – Botanic Hotel, 2004, northern façade............................................149
Figure A8.18 – Bank of South Australia, Royal coat of arms and carved
stone work.........................................................................................150
Figure A8.19 – Bank of South Australia, 2004, eastern façade..............................151
Figure A8.20 – Bank of South Australia, 2004, eastern façade..............................151
Figure A8.21 – Bank of Adelaide, c. 1889..............................................................153
Figure A8.22 – Bank of Adelaide, 2004, eastern façade.........................................153
Figure A8.23 – Ambassadors Hotel, c.1890............................................................155
Figure A8.24 – Ambassadors Hotel, c 1969............................................................155
Figure A8.25 – Ambassadors Hotel, 2004, eastern façade......................................155
Figure A8.26 – Proposed plan for Torrens Building, published in Frearson’s
Weekly, 25 September 1880..............................................................157
Figure A8.27 – Torrens Building, 2004, western façade........................................157
Figure A8.28 – Newmarket Hotel, c. 1930.............................................................158
Figure A8.29 – Newmarket Hotel, 2004, northern façade......................................158
Figure A8.30 – Jervois Wing, detail of level 2 window..........................................159
Figure A8.31 – State Library, Jervois Wing, 2004, southern and eastern facades..160
Figure A8.32 – Parliament House on 12 November 1918 (19th century section)...163
Figure A8.33 – Parliament House, 2004, southern and eastern facades.................163

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TABLES

Table 4.1 – Social and Functional variables..............................................................49
Table 4.2 – Physical variables...................................................................................54
Table A1.1 – Classical architectural styles over history..........................................110
Table A.4.1 – Gothic style public buildings, constructed in the 19th century in
Adelaide – social and functional variables.......................................123

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DECLARATION

I certify that this thesis does not incorporate, without acknowledgment, any material
previously submitted for a degree or diploma in any university; and that to the best of
my knowledge and belief it does not contain any material previously published or
written by another person except where due reference is made in the text.

Signed,

Deborah Arthur
October 2004

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ABSTRACT

Adelaide (South Australia’s capital city) has a vast number of classical style public
buildings in the city centre. Many of these buildings were constructed throughout the
19th century, and are still standing today. Classical style public buildings in three
locations: the northern part of King William Street, North Terrace, and Victoria
Square, were analysed for this study. Fieldwork recorded the physical attributes of
the buildings, while historical research noted the social and functional attributes.

The main aim of this study was to discuss the social meanings of classical style
public architecture in Adelaide in the 19th century. Other aims were to examine the
types of classical styles present in Adelaide, whether these styles were prevalent on
public buildings in other Australian capitals and in other British colonies, and what
the influences were for the choice of architectural style. Analysis of architectural
style in Adelaide has shown that architects and other influential individuals were
emulating the behaviour of British elite, and copying historical trends for classical
styles. At the same time there was some resistance against the strict rules governing
traditional forms of classical architecture, providing new styles and orders, which
formed different social meanings.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the Directors of Thomson Rossi (Architect Firm), Marino Rossi
and Simon Thomson, and the staff there: for little did they know, they indirectly got
me interested in architecture through working for them in an administrative capacity
for the past 7 years (4 years full-time), and I learnt a lot about architectural concepts
during my time there.

I would like to thank Anne Geddes (Lecturer, Classics Department, Adelaide
University), Tim Owen (PhD, Flinders University), Lyn Travar (Part-time Lecturer,
Architecture Department, Adelaide University), and Mathew Johnson (Professor,
Archaeology Department, University of Southampton, United Kingdom) for their
initial guidance and suggestions for my thesis proposal, whilst I was developing my
idea of studying classical style buildings in Adelaide between October and December
2003.

I would like to thank Heather Hales (Manager, The Royal Australian Institute of
Architects, SA Chapter) for suggesting I contact, and for providing contact details
for, Christine Garnaut (Research Fellow, Louis Laybourne Smith School of
Architecture and Design, University of South Australia) and Julie Collins (Archivist,
Australian Architecture Archives and History Research Group, University of South
Australia).

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