Bell's Building (including all tenancies)
188-192 Ryrie Street, GEELONG VIC 3220 - Property No 217694
Geelong Commercial Heritage Area
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Statement of Significance
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The former Bells buildings, 188-192 Ryrie Street, Geelong, have significance as a moderately intact commercial example of a Federation style. Built in 1914 for the Bell family to a design by the Geelong architects Laird and Buchan, the building is a surviving legacy of the commercial developments in Geelong during the Federation period.
The former Bells buildings at 188-192 Ryrie Street is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. It demonstrates original design qualities of a Federation style. These qualities include the three bayed first floor composition flanked by wide unpainted red brick piers with long incised rectangular panels that project beyond the simple capped solid brick parapet. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the first floor central bay with its flanking pilasters that rise beyond the parapet line and terminate in a curved cement rendered capping, cement rendered title panel with incised blind arch and the sign that reads "Bells Buildings 1914", vertical motifs that have an affinity to Art Nouveau decoration, two narrow timber framed windows with awning sash highlights and the projecting window hood, continuous cement sills and bands, flanking bays with banks of four timber framed casement windows with awning sash highlights, cement sills and bands, and the dentillated cement cornices. The ground floor shop-fronts have been greatly altered.
The former Bells buildings at 188-192 Ryrie Street is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with commercial developments in Geelong during the Federation period c.18951915. In particular, this building has associations with the Bell family and particularly the Estate of Robert Bell and his children, John, Charles and Elizabeth, original owners from 1914. It was at that time when the Geelong architects Laird and Buchan were commissioned to design the building that replaced a two storey stone premises on the site.
Overall, the former Bells buildings at 188-192 Ryrie Street is of LOCAL significance.
References
Reports and Drainage Plans, Barwon Water profis system, 1993.
Sands & McDougalls Directory of Geelong, 1972, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Sands & McDougalls "Invicta" Geelong Directory, 1968, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Geelong City Council Rate Books Barwon Ward, 19141960, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Town Plan of Geelong 1881, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Thomas, A.P., Bells Buildings, Geelong Conservation Analysis Report, 1989, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Aitken, R., Edwardian Geelong an Architectural Introduction, 1979, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Photographic Collection, Geelong Historical records Centre.
Land Title Search APP41354, Land Titles Office, Marland House, Bourke Street, Melbourne.
Ryrie Street streetscape map, from L. Huddle collection of notes.
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Bell's Building (including all tenancies) - Physical Description 1
The former Bells Buildings, 188-192 Ryrie Street, Geelong, contributes to the predominantly one and two storey commercial streetscape along this section of Ryrie Street.
The symmetrical, two storey, unpainted red brick, Federation styled building is characterised by a three bayed first floor composition flanked by wide unpainted red brick piers with long incised rectangular panels that project beyond the simple capped solid brick parapet. The central bay is an early feature of the design, with its flanking pilasters that rise beyond the parapet line and terminate in a curved cement rendered capping. Below the curved capping is a cement rendered title panel with incised blind arch and the sign that reads "Bells Buildings 1914". Below the sign is some vertical motifs that have an affinity to Art Nouveau decoration. The central bay also has two early and narrow timber framed windows with awning sash highlights, and a projecting hood above. The windows also have an early continuous cement sill and band.
The flanking first floor bays are identical and have early banks of four timber framed casement windows with awning sash highlights. These windows also have early cement sills and bands. Above the windows are introduced canvas awnings, and each bay is adorned with dentillated cement cornices.
Below the first floor windows is a wide rendered band and introduced cantilevering verandah. The ground floor shopfronts have been greatly altered, with more recent shopfronts introduced.
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:
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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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CORIO VILLAVictorian Heritage Register H0193
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