Purnell's Chambers- Shop
26 Ryrie Street, GEELONG VIC 3220 - Property No 217506
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Statement of Significance
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The Purnell's Chambers building, 26-30A Ryrie Street, Geelong, has significance as an unusual and intact complex of six early shops designed in a Federation commercial style. Built in 1923 for Frederick Purnell, architect (to his design), the building appears to be in fair condition.
The Purnell's Chambers building, 26-30A Ryrie Street, is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. It demonstrates original design qualities of an interwar Free commercial style, with its unusual set of six shops of high integrity. These qualities include the six bayed composition articulated into three sets of flanking metal framed shop fronts between central double ingoes with timber and glazed doors, metal screened ingo decoration at ceiling level, shopfront highlights, transom windows above the doorways, and the glazed tiled surrounds. Other intact qualities include the single storey height, rendered brick wall construction, plain rendered parapet with the moulded and unpainted red brick dentillated capping, striped rendered and unpainted red brick parapet pilasters crowned by rendered piers having projecting cornices, series of gable roof forms clad in galvanised corrugated iron separated by projecting unpainted brick party walls with cement rendered cappings, and the rear brick boundary wall.
The Purnell's Chambers building, 26-30A Ryrie Street, is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with commercial developments in Geelong during the interwar c.1920s1940s period. In particular, the building has associations with Frederick Charles Purnell, original owner and architect, who designed it in 1923. As well as being an architect, Purnell held important roles in several community organisations, including the Geelong and District Town Planning Association and the Geelong College Old Collegians Association. Overall, the Purnell's Chambers building, 2630A Ryrie Street, is of LOCAL significance.
Removed from the City Fringe Heritage Area
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Purnell's Chambers- Shop - Physical Description 1
The Purnell's Chambers building, 26-30A Ryrie Street, Geelong, comprises an unusual intact set of 6 shops fronting Ryrie Street. The single storey, rendered brick, interwar Free commercial styled complex is characterised by a plain rendered parapet with a moulded and unpainted red brick dentillated capping. The parapet is punctuated by striped rendered and unpainted red brick pilasters crowned by rendered piers having projecting cornices. These pilasters and piers accentuate the six bayed composition of the ground floor shopfronts, which are separated from the first floor by cantilevered verandahs.
The shopfronts are largely intact, with the six bayed composition articulated into three sets of flanking early metal framed shopfronts between early central double ingoes with timber and glazed doors. The ingoes are adorned with early metal screens at ceiling level. The shopfronts also have early highlights above, and apart from the shop at 30A Ryrie Street, these highlights are painted over. The doorways also have early transom windows, several of which are also painted over. The shopfronts have surrounding, early glazed tiled walls and bases, some of which are also painted over.
Most of the introduced signage on the complex is appropriately confined to the valance hoardings of the verandahs or on the shopfront windows. There are two inappropriate sign boards projecting above the verandah along the east end.
Behind the front parapet are a series of early gabled roof forms clad in galvanised corrugated iron separated by projecting brick party walls with cement rendered cappings. The building takes up the full area of the site, with the rear boundary wall constructed of unpainted and bagged brick.
Purnell's Chambers- Shop - Physical Description 2
Row of 6 largely intact Interwar shops. The rendered parapet with capping to each shop is separated by a banded red brick pilaster projecting above the parapet. Possibly original cantilevered awnings. Shops are paired with recessed entries having decorative metal screens above, pressed metal to ceilings, tiled floor (modern type to nos 28, 28a) & a mixture of timber doors. Metal framed shopfronts with original tiles to stallboard (painted to nos 26, 26a, 28) & textured glass to highlights (except for nos 26a, 30).
Heritage Study and Grading
Greater Geelong - Geelong City Urban Conservation Study, Volumes 2-5
Author: Graeme Butler
Year: 1991
Grading: CGreater Geelong - Geelong City Urban Conservation Study Volume 1
Author: Graeme Butler
Year: 1993
Grading: CGreater Geelong - Geelong City 'C' Citations Study
Author: Dr David Rowe
Year: 2002
Grading:Geelong City Fringe Heritage Area Review
Author: RBA Architects + Conservation Consultants
Year: 2018
Grading:
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FORMER GEELONG WOOL EXCHANGEVictorian Heritage Register H0622
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FORMER SCOTTISH CHIEFS HOTELVictorian Heritage Register H0662
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GEELONG TOWN HALLVictorian Heritage Register H0184
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