Art Deco facade saved from demolition

This Art Deco building is located within the Hobart CBD area and has been in an abandoned state for quite some time. I took this photograph prior to it being demolished to make way for a new apartment high-rise block. The facade though has thankfully been retained as the new development towers behind this fascinating Deco block.

Art Deco Apartments - Hobart Style

Move beyond a town or cities CBD in Tasmania and out into the suburbs and you will more than likely come across some wonderful post war homes and apartments. The need for housing after the Second World War witnessed large scale housing projects. The flats (pictured) are in Hobart and show a wonderful example of art deco streamlining. The external features haven't changed at all since it was built some 70 years ago. It's as popular with residents now as it was when it was first built. In an era when the environment is of prime concern, population boom and petrol price increases, apartment living and development of them must seriously be reconsidered to lessen the effects of urban sprawl.

Demolition of 1960s Hobart Office Block

Hobart is to get it's own version of what has been dubbed as 'Melbourne's Federation Square' by some of the local media, but the final approved plan will see the 10 Murray Street Government Office block demolished as part of the new plan. 10 Murray Steet was built in the late 1960s and is surrounded by a diversity of buildings spanning two centuries. There are several Art Deco Buildings as well, including the former the Government Printing Offices as well as the the sweeping office block that faces Davey Street. The latter Art Deco office block is to have the the top floors removed that were added in the 1960/70s.

A Sydney based firm plans to open up the area as a public space. One of the major new buildings is a new and interesting looking 'honeycomb' colour Government Office Building that will replace the 1960s office block (pictured). Since the announcement there has been public divide about the demolition of 10 Murray Street in the local media. A group known as "Save 10 Murray" has recently been setup to petition against the demolition of 10 Murray Street. Works on the project are planned to begin in March 2010.

I have undertaken a photographic essay of 10 Murray Street which can be viewed here

CH Smith Building - 30 years of Art Deco neglect

The northern Tasmania newspaper, The Examiner ran a front page story relating to the derelict CH Smith Building in Launceston. It has been in a derelict state now since the late 1970s and is a good example of an Art Deco industrial style building. The complex was to be converted into apartments and a shopping mall but this never happened and since then the owners have put the property on the market again.

My letter that appeared in the Examiner newspaper:
"Buildings such as the CH Smith Building (Examiner, 24th October) should be protected by heritage laws, but more importantly be redeveloped in a way that is sympathetic to its Art Deco style. There are countless buildings in Launceston and in Tasmania that are at risk of being lost or unsympathetically developed. For example, the former Royal Derwent Hospital has a wonderful social and architectural history dating back to the 1830s. The report by the National Trust puts it in the top 10 sites of 'heritage at risk'. Heritage restrictions on buildings like the former Royal Derwent Hospital and the CH Smith building may create extra hurdles for the businesses that own them, but surely heritage values and redevelopment can co-exist. To advocate that heritage laws get in the way of development ignores how important buildings like the CH Smith complex have played in shaping modern day Launceston."