SOUTH CAMBERWELL COMMERCIAL PRECINCT
964-984 Toorak Road CAMBERWELL, BOROONDARA CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is Significant?
The South Camberwell Commercial Precinct, at 964-984 Toorak Road, Camberwell, is significant. The initial set of shops, at Nos. 964-974, were constructed in 1926-1927 with the remaining shops constructed over the next decade, all within the interwar period.
The shops at nos. 964-982 are graded Contributory to the precinct with the shop at the front of no. 984 graded as Non-contributory. The Non-contributory building at no. 984 was constructed as an addition during the 1980s and is not reflective of the interwar nature of the precinct.
How is it significant?
The South Camberwell Commercial Precinct is of local historical, architectural and aesthetic significance to the City of Boroondara.
Why is it significant?
The precinct is of historical significance for demonstrating the development of a secondary commercial hub in Camberwell and reflecting the 'zoning' restrictions of 1920s that led to the grouping of shops in specific areas. Early commercial development was centred around the Camberwell Junction, at the intersection of Camberwell, Riversdale and Burke roads. The opening in 1916 of tram services to Burwood provided impetus for the development of a small shopping centre here, a central position between the junctions of Toorak Road with Burke Road and Camberwell Road. It is representative of the neighbouring residential growth of the South Camberwell area and its typical visual expression as a commercial streetscape. (Criterion A)
The shops in the precinct demonstrate the typical form of interwar commercial/retail buildings, built to the front and side boundaries, forming a continuous street wall, with roofs hidden behind parapets. The complete set of inter war shops demonstrate typical features such as metal-framed windows with top-lights, recessed entrances as well as cantilevered verandas. The set of shops comprises an eclectic mix of features with most sites being developed individually. (Criterion D)
The South Camberwell Commercial Precinct is a fine example of an isolated inter war shopping strip. Styles range from the conservative neo-classical to the Moderne, with exposed brickwork details and features a prominent aspect of each building. Visual cohesion of the shopping strip is created through the geometric parapet shapes. Full width banding in either exposed brick or render also creates a theme across the set of buildings. (Criterion E)
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SOUTH CAMBERWELL COMMERCIAL PRECINCT - Physical Description 1
This precinct comprises a row of shops in the south side of Toorak Road between Peate Avenue and Hillside Parade. As noted in the histories, the row of shops was built during the interwar period over the space of 10 years from 1927-1937. From the 1950s, shopfronts were altered or replaced on all but a few shops whilst other additions include various signs and outbuildings.
All the shops are built to the front and side boundaries, forming a continuous street wall, and their roofs are hidden behind parapets, as was typical prior to World War II (Figure 5). The height of the shops fluctuates between single and double storey, with various parapet shapes used. Only one out of the 10 shops provides two shopfronts, and only 982-984 does not have a cantilevered verandah. The upper facades of the entire shopping strip are of good integrity and a visual cohesion is created by the various geometric shapes. These are discussed below.
The initial set of buildings first listed in 1928 and constructed between 1926 and 1927 were shop nos. 964-974 (S&Mc 1927-1938).
In business by November 1926, the shop at no. 964 at the corner of Peate Street and Toorak Road addresses the corner with an angled shopfront, with an offset pier at the entry. The painted brick shop has a half storey height parapet with an overhanging concrete coping detail running the length of the spans and atop the three prominent brick piers. The former grocers has a two-sided shop front and appears to have original brass window frames, exposed throughout the top light and painted at the lower level.
The adjacent shop, no. 966, is a two-storey red brick shop and residence with thick banded recessed render and an arched timber casement window on the first floor. The neo-classical styled facade has expressed red brick with a central window flanked by a pair of recessed and rendered panels. The parapet is separated by a stringcourse of clinker brick, with a central pediment bay, again rendered, and surmounted by a secondary stringcourse. The ground level features a tiled arched shopfront with central door, rebuilt in 1950.
Nos. 968 and 970 is single building containing a pair of symmetrical painted brick shopfronts with entrances towards the centre of the building. Above, the parapet features split levels and recessed bays, with a higher central bay and over-sailing piers on each bay, of similar height to those at no. 964. Shopfronts were replaced in 1981.
Immediately to the east is the two-storey red brick shop no. 972. Piers mark the boundary of the building, with a smaller pair projecting only in the topmost portion and creating a tiered parapet. Concrete coping caps the parapet. A timber sash window sits centrally on the first floor and is demarcated by painted rendered bands at the sill and head of the window frame. Extruded brick sill supports align with the mullions of the window frame; above this a shade canopy arches out in front of the window. Shopfronts were replaced in 1985.
The final building in this set, no. 974, is different in that it features attic windows in the parapet. The red brick building features over-sailing piers like nos. 964 and 968-972, however only on the periphery. A lighter brick coping detail runs over the shallow central arch and matches the lower stringcourse which is separated by a rendered bay. Painted concrete lintels sit above the timber attic windows. The shopfront is not original.
The next to be constructed were nos. 976 and 978 from 1929-1930.
No. 976 is a single storey plane faced red brick building finished in render. The only variant from this is the clinker brick coping, with a central shallow pediment formed in upright bricks. The asymmetric shop front, dating from 1958, contains a length of mottled glass top lights and what appears to be an original marble threshold. The lower level of the shopfront is finished in blue tiles.
No. 978 is a similarly plain faced shop and dwelling over two storeys. A subtle flat coping detail runs the length of the facade, leaving an expanse between the parapet ridge and the central timber sash window below. A band of clinker brickwork runs from the boundary lines to the centre of the window frame, which has similar sill brick detailing to no. 972. Below the window is a rectangular ring of exposed clinker brickwork. The shopfronts were altered in 1966.
The next to be constructed was the residence and shop at nos. 982-984 in 1934, leaving a gap in the row of shops for a number of years. Built for the chemist Cecil Eustace Lang, the shop consists of a painted brick shopfront at no. 982. The shopfront utilises both conventional and narrow bricks for various aspects of the facade. The shallow parapet features striated bands of narrow brickwork within the higher levels of conventional brick walling. Narrow bricks are used from the level of the canopy down. Within the shopfront proper, brickwork at the lower levels continues the alignment of the door, which is set back. Shopfronts appear intact. Overhead, a timber shingled canopy covers the central shopfront segment. Alterations and additions undertaken on site in 1987 added the plain faced building at no. 984, containing two head height windows but no street access.
The final building to be constructed, completing the row, was the infill of no. 980. Stylistically approaching the Moderne, the two-storey clinker brick building forms bold piers of exposed brick, which contrast a central rendered bay that rises marginally taller. Three bands of exposed brickwork run across the central bay at the upper level, with a centrally placed timber sash window below with exposed brick sills. The shopfront is painted, including the top-lights and setback entrance.
Heritage Study and Grading
Boroondara - Municipal-Wide Heritage Gap Study: Vol. 2 Camberwell
Author: Context
Year: 2018
Grading: Local
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