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Former Car Showrooms

Other Names Royce Hotel ,  Badenach House Location 375 St Kilda Road, (Cnr Bromby Street), SOUTH YARRA VIC 3141 - Property No B4870 File Number B4870 Level Regional

[1/1] B4870 Former Car Showroom

Statement of Significance

Following from the popularisation of Architectural Terracotta by its use on American Buildings such as the Woolworths Building (1903) and the Chicago Tribune Offices (1925), the Melbourne Architect, Harry A Norris, pioneered its use in Victoria with the Nicholas building (1926-7), in Swanston Street, and two years later, on these motor car showrooms for Kellow-Falkiner Pty. Ltd, (also known as Badenach House)
In this building its use as a wall finish, combined with stucco, created yet another American importation; that of the Spanish Mission revival, which housed large bronze-framed show windows displaying American motor cars. The contractors were F. E. Shillabeer and Sons. Badenach House is remarkably original with most of its large-paned show windows, Wunderlich Architectural Terracotta and Wunderlich Mission Pattern tiles intact. It is one of Melbourne's early purpose-built motor showrooms and of those is the most original known.
It is also a prominent example of the Spanish Mission revival in Victoria .
Classified: 27/05/1982