History:

The planning for Council’s new Civic Centre and Central Library goes back many years and takes in a period which has seen the city grow to become the thriving centre it is today. Penrith City Council operations have similarly grown to the extent that its administrative operations had outgrown the five separate buildings it had occupied. It was this recognition that prompted the decision to go ahead with the Civic Centre project.

This decision was made in 1988 when a design brief for the construction of the centre was completed. In 1989 Council proceeded to select an architect for the design of the project and in early 1990 a project architect was appointed. In 1991 the successful tenderer for construction of the Centre was selected and construction commenced in November 1991.

The site of Council’s new Civic Centre and Central Library is a key one in the City of Penrith with three main road frontages – Castlereagh Road, Great Western Highway and Jane Street. The complete precinct is unique, in that it links the different functions of administration, culture and recreation all on the one site that borders the Penrith Plaza shopping complex. As such the precinct offers the potential for people to move efficiently between all of these functions and to carry out a number of components of their daily business or recreation.

Design Philosophy:

Council has realised for some time that its growing regional significance required an “appropriate presence”. The new Civic Centre and Central Library has provided the City of Penrith with a landmark building that is both unique and distinctive.

The building has a strong presence and is bold and adventurous in its design. A key feature of the design of the building is that it is most inviting and accessible to the public, making excellent use of natural light. Customers enter the building directly underneath a central atrium that projects natural light onto the enquiries counter giving visitors a feeling of being welcomed into the heart of the building.

The building design is also very functional featuring excellent public accessibility, usability, circulation and adaptability of internal spaces.

The building also incorporates a building maintenance system that monitors and controls the electrical, air conditioning and security systems providing the potential for substantial cost savings over time.

The construction format of the building is essentially traditional with a basement, ground floor, first floor and second floor consisting of concrete columns and slabs, masonry walls and concrete/steel roofing systems.

Construction Programme:

When this project was first conceived it was immediately apparent that the scale and complexity of the project would exceed anything Council had previously undertaken. Council realised it would be essential to avoid the normal adversarial approach inherent in “traditional” construction contracts for large and complex projects.

Following industry research it became apparent that there was a track record of success utilising a form of construction administration based on a co-operative team approach. The form of project finally used encompassed the concept of guaranteed time and cost with package documentation that required close co-operation and support from the key players. The building was designed by noted architect Feiko Bouman and built by John Holland Constructions, with all parties sharing a common vision for the outcome.

There was a commitment to excellence on the project that extended through to the individual trades working on the project. Suggestions for improvements in both construction efficiency and quality of workmanship were advanced and utilised on an unprecedented scale. The end result was a project that has delivered a building of excellence within time and budget constraints.

Civic Centre:

Following the move to the new Civic Centre and Central Library all of Council’s administrative operations are now housed under the one roof. This provides Council with the opportunity to maximise the efficiency of its operations.

It also afforded Council the opportunity to reinforce its Quality Customer Service programme, committing Council to providing the highest quality service to its customers.

A key feature of the new Civic Centre is the new centralised counter operation that is manned by a small number of multi-skilled staff who are able to attend to all matters pertaining to Council. This new “One-Stop Shop” philosophy enables customers to transact all of their Council business from rate payments to building and development applications at the one counter. The counter team is backed up by a group of duty professionals who are readily available for complex specialist enquiries.

At the heart of the new Civic Centre is an impressive Council Chamber where Council meetings are conducted. The Chambers, like the rest of the building, makes good use of natural light and has a seating capacity of 120. Access to the Chamber is via the lifts in the ground floor foyer or the ramps on either side of the main entrance.

The administrative offices are arranged on two levels around the central foyer area and follow the building’s outer perimeter. A large function room with a capacity to seat 320 patrons is situated on the second floor. It is serviced by a fully equipped kitchen.

The new Civic Centre has given Council the opportunity to provide the level of customer service that is expected and meet the needs of the citizens for many years to come.

Central Library:

A major feature of Council’s Civic Centre is the new Central Library which takes up approximately one third of the building and covers an area of some 3,000 square metres. This much needed relocation represents a move from an out of date facility to one which will be servicing Penrith well into the 21st century.

The new Central Library will bring major benefits to residents and has the potential to become a major educational facility of regional significance. This facility has brought quality library and information services of the highest calibre to western Sydney.

The new library incorporates all the latest in library technology. One feature is the high-tech upgrade given to the lending of books. All books and membership cards now have barcodes on them which allow borrowers to check out books themselves by passing them over a supermarket style scanner.

The availability of two seminar rooms and a 100 seat theatrette further enhances the library’s role in the community. They will enable the library to be involved in a variety of educational activities.

The library has also introduced another new concept, a ‘Technical Library” which has been set up to support Council’s internal operations. This library has consolidated all of Council’s technical manuals and publications into one area providing an excellent research centre for Council staff, elected representatives and the general public.

Other key features of the new library include an enhanced reference and information service and an expanded local area section. The library provides a major educational resource that makes available locally, an extensive range of quality resources which are oriented towards general and personal education needs.

Source: Penrith City Local History.

Tags:   council chamber chambers council chambers office offices administration administrative councilmen civic centre civic centre shire building architecture architect vintage classic antique design modern 1980s 1990s culture cultural history historic heritage penrith nepean new south wales australia

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The Queen Victoria Building was designed by City Architect George McRae as Sydney's central market, and constructed between 1893 and 1898. It was named in honour of Queen Victoria in celebration of Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The site, an entire city block, had previously been occupied by a produce market and the Central Police Court. These uses ceased in 1891 and the land was purchased by Sydney City Council. McRae submitted four proposals for the building. The Australasian Builder and Contractors' News described the designs in July 1893 as "scholarly Renaissance", "picturesque Queen Anne", "classic Gothic" and "American Romanesque". The style chosen was the latter and the foundation stone was laid in December 1893 by the Mayor, Sir William Manning. This foundation stone was a five-tonne block of granite, levered and lowered into position at the corner of George and Druitt Streets. The ceremony was the first of a series in which successive mayors laid stones and plaques to mark the progress of construction. The building was notable for its employment in the expansive barrel-form roof of engineering systems which were very advanced at the time of construction. McRae is considered by architectural historians to have been one of the leading protagonists of the new construction methods and materials which were then beginning to break down the conservatism of building techniques. In achieving the strength and space of the building McRae used steel, iron, concrete, reinforcing, machine-made bricks, glass, imported tiles, fire-proofing, riveting and hydraulics on an unprecedented scale. The huge building was finally completed and opened with great ceremony on Mayor Matthew Harris on 21 July 1898. In a lavish ceremony, Alderman Harris said that the building was intended to be more than a municipal market. With judicious management, he said "a marvellous centre of trade will be established here." (SCC)

The original concept was for an internal shopping street 611 feet long with two levels of shops on either side. In 1917 and 1935 alterations converted the interior to office space with shops to the external street frontages. (NT)

In the first few decades the QVB had the atmosphere of an oriental bazaar, and the earliest tenants conducted a mixture of commerce, crafts and skills. There were shops, studios, offices and workrooms for some two hundred traders, dealers and artisans. Housed within the upper galleries were more studious and scholarly tenancies, such as bookshops, sheet music shops, piano-sellers and piano-tuners, as well as the salons of private teachers of music, dancing, singing, elocution, painting, sculpting, drawing and dressmaking. There were also more decorous sports including a billiards saloon, a gymnasium for ladies and a table tennis hall.

The building was heavily criticised in the early years of its operation due to its poor financial return. Original real estate advice indicated the building could pay for itself from rents received, within thirty years. The first few years were slow. In 1898 only 47 out of about 200 available spaces were tenanted. This improved by the following year with another 20 tenants joining the list. By 1905, there were 150 tenants, but it was not until 1917 that the building was reaching its maxim tenancy rate. Up until that time there was a continual shortfall between the costs to Council and the rents received and Council was constantly looking at ways of improving its return.

A remodelling scheme was finally adopted by Council in May 1917. McLeod Brothers were awarded the contract for the work in June 1917 at a cost of (Pounds)40,944.

These alterations in the name of economy and increased floor space destroyed much of the magnificent interior spaces and character of the building. The ground floor arcade was obliterated, the light quality in the basement reduced, the southern entry devalued and the internal voids and galleries reduced and devalued. The alterations were undertaken to remove what Council saw as, 'inherent flaws', in what its Victorian creators considered, an architectural triumph. One of the disturbing aspects of these radical alterations was that now that the building's internal character had been violated and devalued, there was little resistance to further alterations.

The building continued to incur losses and by 1933 the accumulated debt was announced as (Pounds)500,000. No major alterations occurred between 1918 and 1934, but many small alterations to the individual shops such as new partitions, fitouts, and mezzanines were continually taking place.

By the mid 1930s the depression was receding, employment growing, building and business reviving. Time had come to rework the building to further reduce the debt and hopefully return a profit. The Council decided to move the rapidly expanding Electricity Department out of the Town Hall and relocate it in the QVB.

In December 1933, Council voted to approve a major proposal to alter the Queen Victoria Building to suit the requirements of the Electricity Department. Approval was also given to invite tenders for the work. The majority of the work was confined to the central and northern section of the building. Essentially this scheme was to convert the interior to a general office space and install floors in what remained of the Grand Victorian internal spaces. The work costing (Pounds)125,000 was completed by 1935.

Many of the shops at ground floor level in the southern part of the building were retained although they received new shopfronts in line with the updated Art Deco image. The library in the northern area was retained with no new major alterations. The basement was subject to various alterations such as new concrete stairs, timber framed mezzanines and some new plant equipment, but the long term tenants remained in the basement ensuring little need for alterations.

These extensive alterations attracted little public comment at the time. They were accepted within the name of progress as a necessary solution. It is fortunate that the majority of the facade fabric was not altered above the awning line. Perhaps the strength of the architectural image was too strong even for the most practical minded official. An enduring quality the building has always retained is in its ability to change without loosing its external imagery and architectural strength as an element in the city. Up until the early 1970s the building became the home of the SCC and much of its identity in the city was based on this use even though the external envelope had not changed.

The occupancy by the SCC did however provide some security for the building by providing a constant income base. The SCC undertook continual changes to the building, some being significant alterations but the majority were minor such as new partitions, showrooms and fitouts. For example in the thirty years between 1936 and 1966 a total of 79 separate building applications were lodged with the City Council by the SCC. There is little evidence that any of this work, which was basically related to functional uses and the needs of occupants, proceeded with any concern for the architectural strengths of the building.

Proposals for demolition of the building gained strength by the late 1950s in a city eager to modernise and grow rapidly. The post war boom was in full swing and business confidence high. In 1959, Lord Mayor Jensen suggested a scheme demolishing the QVB and replacing it with a public square. Revenue from a badly needed underground carpark would pay for the demolition of the QVB and construction of the square. This scheme gained much support both from the public and the design professions in general. Jensen further suggested an international design competition similar to the competition for the Opera House site and won much support for the idea.

Demolition proposals at the time were largely postponed by the continued presence of the SCC in the building. The SCC required another long lease which was granted by the City Council in 1961. The SCC was planning a new large building opposite town hall and required the existing facilities in the QVB to be retained until its completion. The City Council was in no position to refuse the SCC and thus the demolition proposals were temporarily thwarted, although opinion was always behind demolition and a reuse of the site at the time.

A form of demolition actually started in 1963 with removal of the cupolas on the roof. Concern about their stability was given as the reason for their removal. The contractor paid for their removal, in fact made a larger profit out of the sale of the salvaged cupolas as souvenirs and garden decorations, than for the contract to remove them.

As the new SCC building was nearing completion the question of the QVB's ultimate fate was approaching again. The debates in the late 1950s and early 1960s were largely deflated by the continued occupation of the SCC and other long term tenants, but, as this was not an issue any more, the debate was to enter another stage.

By 1967 calls for its preservation were being made by the National Trust declaring it should be saved because of its historical importance. Calls were also made not only for its preservation but also for its restoration by stripping away the numerous disfigurements, restoring the glass vaulted roof, ground floor arcades, tiled floors, and stone stairs. Many schemes were promoted such as linking the building by underground tunnels to the Town Hall and other city buildings, schemes involving constructing nightclubs or planetariums under the dome, with shops on the lower levels, art galleries, hotel rooms etc on the upper levels. Although these plans would have to wait, the Council actually spent considerable funds on renovating the City Library.

Demolition was still the favoured option by many in the Council. Even as late as 1969 the Labour Party candidate running for mayor in the City Council elections stated that, if elected he would propose demolition of the QVB, which he said was 'a firetrap to make way for a new civic square'. Shortly after and perhaps as a threat to possible demolition, the National Trust upgraded its classification to category 'A', which defined it as 'urgently in need of acquisition and preservation'. By 1971 the Royal Australian Institute of Architects entered the debate advocating preservation, on the grounds of the QVB's historical importance.

In 1971 the new Lord Mayor, Alderman Emmet McDermott, leader of the Civic Reform Group, announced that the QVB would be 'preserved and restored to its original state'. There was no suggestion of how that was going to take place, but such a statement became very much the turning point in the buildings history and eventual fate.

The building was to be saved, but there was no plan or suggestions about where the funds were to come from. In 1979 the Town Clerk, Mr Leon Carter stated; 'The Council is determined that the high cost of rebirth of the QVB will not fall on the blistered shoulders of the weary ratepayer'.

Restoration proposals were held up by a combination of lack of funds and continuing disagreements between Council, potential operators and stakeholders such as the National Trust and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects

Finally in 1979 a team was established between Architects Stephenson & Turner and Rice & Daubney, Engineers Meinhardt and Partners, Kuttner Collins & Partners for administration, with financial backing by IPOH Garden Berhad. Key conservation groups backed the plan. Negotiations about plans and leases continued for almost three years, but eventually on 1 August 1983 the Lord Mayor and IPOH Garden, signed a ninety-nine year profit-sharing lease.

The building reopened at the end of 1986 in time to catch the busy Christmas trading season. The work took almost four years to complete and included a new underground carpark, linking tunnels and a restored interior. As almost nothing of the original interior fabric was left intact the work largely involved reconstructing the details and atmosphere of the place. The completed project can be considered a sound commercial scheme, but not a true reconstruction. A museum approach to conserving the building was recognised by all authorities as being unworkable as the building would be empty and devoid of the life the restoration brief considered essential.

By 2006, after successfully trading for twenty years, comprehensive plans were being prepared to conserve the exterior and refurbish the interior of the building to ensure the place was commercially viable as an ongoing retail complex. The major upgrade of the building's interiors were designed by the architectural firm Ancher Mortlock and Woolley in association with interior design firm Freeman Rembel.

The recent conservation and refurbishment approach has aimed to clarify the legibility between historic fabric and the new fabric which must be continually updated to ensure the building is viable as an ongoing commercial complex. After its successful refurbishment, the QVB was officially reopened by the Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore on 25th August 2009.

Source: New South Wales Heritage Register.

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This grand structure, originally known as the Marina Picture Palace opened on 24th June 1927 screening Sparrows (Mary Pickford, 1926) and The Beloved Rogue (John Barrymore, 1927)

The theatre was built for and ran by independent operators, one of the owners William DePruton was also an architect, and he designed the 1,210-seat building. The original silent screen was painted on the rear wall and had a decorated plaster surround. There was a small stage with dressing rooms located underneath it. The side-walls of the auditorium were quite plain, being decorated by panels, and the ceiling was made of pressed metal Wonderlich-type sheets. The main proscenium opening was rectangular in shape and was flanked by Corinthian columns. The projection box was built at the rear of the stalls, beneath the balcony.

From 1939 until the early-1960s, the Marina Picture Palace was operated by Snider & Dean Circuit (S&D). After that, the cinema reverted back to independent lessee’s, and had a series of openings and closings. In the early-1980’s it was known as the Rosebery Cinema. Its last re-opening was on 1st October 1982, but despite playing good films and offering cheap priced matinee’s with coffee included, the Rosebery Cinema closed on 8th February 1984.

It was eventually operated as a video shop, which used the former stalls area, and retaining much of the original decoration, although the projection box was removed. In around 1997, there was talk of it re-opening as a cinema again, but this came to nothing and the video shop eventually closed by 2002.

The building had been empty and unused since then.

Source: Cinema Treasures.

Tags:   abandoned dormant theatre history historic heritage sydney new south wales australia

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Tags:   lookout view water bay sea ocean salt city buildings towers skyline skyscraper night nikon opera house sydney opera house harbour bridge sydney harbour bridge tower sydney tower sydney new south wales australia

© All Rights Reserved

The Queen Victoria Building was designed by City Architect George McRae as Sydney's central market, and constructed between 1893 and 1898. It was named in honour of Queen Victoria in celebration of Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The site, an entire city block, had previously been occupied by a produce market and the Central Police Court. These uses ceased in 1891 and the land was purchased by Sydney City Council. McRae submitted four proposals for the building. The Australasian Builder and Contractors' News described the designs in July 1893 as "scholarly Renaissance", "picturesque Queen Anne", "classic Gothic" and "American Romanesque". The style chosen was the latter and the foundation stone was laid in December 1893 by the Mayor, Sir William Manning. This foundation stone was a five-tonne block of granite, levered and lowered into position at the corner of George and Druitt Streets. The ceremony was the first of a series in which successive mayors laid stones and plaques to mark the progress of construction. The building was notable for its employment in the expansive barrel-form roof of engineering systems which were very advanced at the time of construction. McRae is considered by architectural historians to have been one of the leading protagonists of the new construction methods and materials which were then beginning to break down the conservatism of building techniques. In achieving the strength and space of the building McRae used steel, iron, concrete, reinforcing, machine-made bricks, glass, imported tiles, fire-proofing, riveting and hydraulics on an unprecedented scale. The huge building was finally completed and opened with great ceremony on Mayor Matthew Harris on 21 July 1898. In a lavish ceremony, Alderman Harris said that the building was intended to be more than a municipal market. With judicious management, he said "a marvellous centre of trade will be established here." (SCC)

The original concept was for an internal shopping street 611 feet long with two levels of shops on either side. In 1917 and 1935 alterations converted the interior to office space with shops to the external street frontages. (NT)

In the first few decades the QVB had the atmosphere of an oriental bazaar, and the earliest tenants conducted a mixture of commerce, crafts and skills. There were shops, studios, offices and workrooms for some two hundred traders, dealers and artisans. Housed within the upper galleries were more studious and scholarly tenancies, such as bookshops, sheet music shops, piano-sellers and piano-tuners, as well as the salons of private teachers of music, dancing, singing, elocution, painting, sculpting, drawing and dressmaking. There were also more decorous sports including a billiards saloon, a gymnasium for ladies and a table tennis hall.

The building was heavily criticised in the early years of its operation due to its poor financial return. Original real estate advice indicated the building could pay for itself from rents received, within thirty years. The first few years were slow. In 1898 only 47 out of about 200 available spaces were tenanted. This improved by the following year with another 20 tenants joining the list. By 1905, there were 150 tenants, but it was not until 1917 that the building was reaching its maxim tenancy rate. Up until that time there was a continual shortfall between the costs to Council and the rents received and Council was constantly looking at ways of improving its return.

A remodelling scheme was finally adopted by Council in May 1917. McLeod Brothers were awarded the contract for the work in June 1917 at a cost of (Pounds)40,944.

These alterations in the name of economy and increased floor space destroyed much of the magnificent interior spaces and character of the building. The ground floor arcade was obliterated, the light quality in the basement reduced, the southern entry devalued and the internal voids and galleries reduced and devalued. The alterations were undertaken to remove what Council saw as, 'inherent flaws', in what its Victorian creators considered, an architectural triumph. One of the disturbing aspects of these radical alterations was that now that the building's internal character had been violated and devalued, there was little resistance to further alterations.

The building continued to incur losses and by 1933 the accumulated debt was announced as (Pounds)500,000. No major alterations occurred between 1918 and 1934, but many small alterations to the individual shops such as new partitions, fitouts, and mezzanines were continually taking place.

By the mid 1930s the depression was receding, employment growing, building and business reviving. Time had come to rework the building to further reduce the debt and hopefully return a profit. The Council decided to move the rapidly expanding Electricity Department out of the Town Hall and relocate it in the QVB.

In December 1933, Council voted to approve a major proposal to alter the Queen Victoria Building to suit the requirements of the Electricity Department. Approval was also given to invite tenders for the work. The majority of the work was confined to the central and northern section of the building. Essentially this scheme was to convert the interior to a general office space and install floors in what remained of the Grand Victorian internal spaces. The work costing (Pounds)125,000 was completed by 1935.

Many of the shops at ground floor level in the southern part of the building were retained although they received new shopfronts in line with the updated Art Deco image. The library in the northern area was retained with no new major alterations. The basement was subject to various alterations such as new concrete stairs, timber framed mezzanines and some new plant equipment, but the long term tenants remained in the basement ensuring little need for alterations.

These extensive alterations attracted little public comment at the time. They were accepted within the name of progress as a necessary solution. It is fortunate that the majority of the facade fabric was not altered above the awning line. Perhaps the strength of the architectural image was too strong even for the most practical minded official. An enduring quality the building has always retained is in its ability to change without loosing its external imagery and architectural strength as an element in the city. Up until the early 1970s the building became the home of the SCC and much of its identity in the city was based on this use even though the external envelope had not changed.

The occupancy by the SCC did however provide some security for the building by providing a constant income base. The SCC undertook continual changes to the building, some being significant alterations but the majority were minor such as new partitions, showrooms and fitouts. For example in the thirty years between 1936 and 1966 a total of 79 separate building applications were lodged with the City Council by the SCC. There is little evidence that any of this work, which was basically related to functional uses and the needs of occupants, proceeded with any concern for the architectural strengths of the building.

Proposals for demolition of the building gained strength by the late 1950s in a city eager to modernise and grow rapidly. The post war boom was in full swing and business confidence high. In 1959, Lord Mayor Jensen suggested a scheme demolishing the QVB and replacing it with a public square. Revenue from a badly needed underground carpark would pay for the demolition of the QVB and construction of the square. This scheme gained much support both from the public and the design professions in general. Jensen further suggested an international design competition similar to the competition for the Opera House site and won much support for the idea.

Demolition proposals at the time were largely postponed by the continued presence of the SCC in the building. The SCC required another long lease which was granted by the City Council in 1961. The SCC was planning a new large building opposite town hall and required the existing facilities in the QVB to be retained until its completion. The City Council was in no position to refuse the SCC and thus the demolition proposals were temporarily thwarted, although opinion was always behind demolition and a reuse of the site at the time.

A form of demolition actually started in 1963 with removal of the cupolas on the roof. Concern about their stability was given as the reason for their removal. The contractor paid for their removal, in fact made a larger profit out of the sale of the salvaged cupolas as souvenirs and garden decorations, than for the contract to remove them.

As the new SCC building was nearing completion the question of the QVB's ultimate fate was approaching again. The debates in the late 1950s and early 1960s were largely deflated by the continued occupation of the SCC and other long term tenants, but, as this was not an issue any more, the debate was to enter another stage.

By 1967 calls for its preservation were being made by the National Trust declaring it should be saved because of its historical importance. Calls were also made not only for its preservation but also for its restoration by stripping away the numerous disfigurements, restoring the glass vaulted roof, ground floor arcades, tiled floors, and stone stairs. Many schemes were promoted such as linking the building by underground tunnels to the Town Hall and other city buildings, schemes involving constructing nightclubs or planetariums under the dome, with shops on the lower levels, art galleries, hotel rooms etc on the upper levels. Although these plans would have to wait, the Council actually spent considerable funds on renovating the City Library.

Demolition was still the favoured option by many in the Council. Even as late as 1969 the Labour Party candidate running for mayor in the City Council elections stated that, if elected he would propose demolition of the QVB, which he said was 'a firetrap to make way for a new civic square'. Shortly after and perhaps as a threat to possible demolition, the National Trust upgraded its classification to category 'A', which defined it as 'urgently in need of acquisition and preservation'. By 1971 the Royal Australian Institute of Architects entered the debate advocating preservation, on the grounds of the QVB's historical importance.

In 1971 the new Lord Mayor, Alderman Emmet McDermott, leader of the Civic Reform Group, announced that the QVB would be 'preserved and restored to its original state'. There was no suggestion of how that was going to take place, but such a statement became very much the turning point in the buildings history and eventual fate.

The building was to be saved, but there was no plan or suggestions about where the funds were to come from. In 1979 the Town Clerk, Mr Leon Carter stated; 'The Council is determined that the high cost of rebirth of the QVB will not fall on the blistered shoulders of the weary ratepayer'.

Restoration proposals were held up by a combination of lack of funds and continuing disagreements between Council, potential operators and stakeholders such as the National Trust and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects

Finally in 1979 a team was established between Architects Stephenson & Turner and Rice & Daubney, Engineers Meinhardt and Partners, Kuttner Collins & Partners for administration, with financial backing by IPOH Garden Berhad. Key conservation groups backed the plan. Negotiations about plans and leases continued for almost three years, but eventually on 1 August 1983 the Lord Mayor and IPOH Garden, signed a ninety-nine year profit-sharing lease.

The building reopened at the end of 1986 in time to catch the busy Christmas trading season. The work took almost four years to complete and included a new underground carpark, linking tunnels and a restored interior. As almost nothing of the original interior fabric was left intact the work largely involved reconstructing the details and atmosphere of the place. The completed project can be considered a sound commercial scheme, but not a true reconstruction. A museum approach to conserving the building was recognised by all authorities as being unworkable as the building would be empty and devoid of the life the restoration brief considered essential.

By 2006, after successfully trading for twenty years, comprehensive plans were being prepared to conserve the exterior and refurbish the interior of the building to ensure the place was commercially viable as an ongoing retail complex. The major upgrade of the building's interiors were designed by the architectural firm Ancher Mortlock and Woolley in association with interior design firm Freeman Rembel.

The recent conservation and refurbishment approach has aimed to clarify the legibility between historic fabric and the new fabric which must be continually updated to ensure the building is viable as an ongoing commercial complex. After its successful refurbishment, the QVB was officially reopened by the Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore on 25th August 2009.

Source: New South Wales Heritage Register.

© All Rights Reserved