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Sydney Architecture
Images- Pyrmont Pyrmont Fire Station |
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architect |
Walter
Liberty Vernon |
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location |
145-147 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont, NSW 2009 |
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date |
1906 |
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style |
Federation Free Style |
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construction |
red brick, Sandstone |
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type |
Government Fire Station |
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Description: Federation Free style: an imposing three storey dark red brick and sandstone corner building with a tiled hipped and gabled roof and a corner tower element, topped by a romantically styled copper cupola with overhanging exposed timber eaves on sandstone columns. This cupola is balanced by gables on the extreme ends of both street elevations. The building shows a restrained use of dressed sandstone in sills, keystones, quoins, eaves line and detailing on the tower, with rusticated sandstone dominating the segmental arches of the engine bays, the semi-circular arch over the former entry, the lintels and the deep plinth that extends around the building. The upper level railing shows florid, art nouveau motifs. The massive construction and fine detailing is typical of the surrounding warehouse typology (McMonnies 1988). History Built in 1906 by Government Architect, WL Vernon. Pyrmont was one of the twenty three stations closed in 1945 during cut back. It was used as a Board workshop during this closure (McMonnies 1988). Pyrmont was isolated from early Sydney and initial development in the area was generally related to waterfront industries such as shipyards. The establishment of the Australian Steam Navigation Company shipyard on Darling Island, plus several other industrial enterprises including Charles Saunder's quarry, brought a residential population of workers, though anyone of means tended to travel to the area from somewhere more desirable. The opening of the Pyrmont Bridge across Darling Harbour in the 1850s facilitated development in both industry and population. Several large businesses became established in Pyrmont 1904 - and the extension of wharfage around the waterfront from Darling Harbour cemented the industrial character of the peninsula and it remained this way until after the end of World War 2. With only a few notable exceptions, residential development remained largely working-class, and in fact progressively reduced in size as the new industries demolished housing to accommodate larger premises. After World War 2, though most of the characterising industries either ceased operating or moved to other locations. Since the 1970s, redevelopment of the area has moved slowly, with numerous schemes and proposals. Many of the industrial buildings have been demolished or converted to other uses (RNE 1999). Special thanks to http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/ |
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