ALKIRA HOUSE
18 QUEEN STREET MELBOURNE, Melbourne City

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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
Alkira House, a six storey, reinforced concrete office building, was erected in 1937 as an investment by Harold and Annie Cohen. JH Wardrop was the architect and Swanson Bros the builders. The facade, composed of strong vertical panels and shafts, is expressed by contrasting grey, green and black terra cotta faience tiles with a central continuous panel of glass blocks surmounted by a cleverly contrived waterfall tower.
How is it significant?
Alkira House is of architectural significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
Alkira House is of architectural significance as an exceptional example of the vertical Jazz Moderne style in Victoria, a style considered to be extremely avant-garde and rarely adopted for building in this State between the wars. The facade reflects modern office building philosophy then developing in Europe, especially the Dutch and German experiments in glass, vitrolite and terracotta of the 1920s and 1930s. Alkira House was in sharp contrast to the revivalist nature of architecture in Melbourne in the 1930s, and while it has some similarities to the Manchester Unity and Myer buildings, it is considerably more flamboyant.
Alkira House is of architectural significance as a distinguished and innovative work of JH Wardrop, who was a principal of the firm that designed the Shrine of Remembrance.
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ALKIRA HOUSE - History
Contextual History:History of Place:
The original land grant which included this site was made to G. Cooper of Melbourne. By 1870 the site was occupied by a stone store of three floors. Between 1880 and 1890 it was partly replaced by a two storey brick ofice building which remained on the site until the construction of Alkira House.
Associated People: Annie and Harold Cohen (original owners)
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FORMER ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ARMY MEDICAL CORPS TRAINING DEPOTVictorian Heritage Register H0717
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MITRE TAVERNVictorian Heritage Register H0464
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MELBOURNE SAVAGE CLUBVictorian Heritage Register H0025
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"1890"Yarra City
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"AMF Officers" ShedMoorabool Shire
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"AQUA PROFONDA" SIGN, FITZROY POOLVictorian Heritage Register H1687
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1 Fordham CourtYarra City
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10 Fordham CourtYarra City
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