Curtin House

Curtin House
Former names	Tattersall's Club Tattersalls Building[1]
General information
Architectural style	Art Nouveau
Address	248-256 Swanston st
Town or city	Melbourne
Country	Australia
Coordinates	37°48′43.2″S 144°57′54.7″E / 37.812000°S 144.965194°ECoordinates: 37°48′43.2″S 144°57′54.7″E / 37.812000°S 144.965194°E
Opening	1922
Cost	£50,000[2]
Dimensions
Other dimensions	Frontage of 81 ft 5 in to Swanston St. by a depth of 88 ft on the southern boundary and 66 ft on the north side. It has a rear frontage of 50 ft 8 in to Tattersalls Lane.[1]
Technical details
Structural system	Structure of reinforced concrete (as placed by the Steel Form Supply Co P/L
Floor count	6
Floor area	21,360 sq. ft.[1]
Lifts/elevators	Single open cage lift encircled by stairs.
Design and construction
Architect	Harry Norris[3]
Civil engineer	Hawkins & Bendixsen

Curtin House is a six storey Art Nouveau building on Swanston Street in the Melbourne city centre.

History

The building was built in the 1922, originally the Tattersalls Building, it was renamed after the Labor Prime Minister John Curtin. It was also once the office of the Communist Party. Built on the former site of Nunans's Buildings destroyed by fire on April 13, 1921 caused by Morton Parker Pimentel the fire claimed one victim Miss Gertrude K Riley.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

Restoration

After being bought by a collaborating group of Melbourne-based business men including Tim Peach (owner of Rooftop Cinema^[9][10]), Curtin House was restored in 2003.

Curtin House hosts thai restaurant and bar Cookie, Rooftop Cinema,^[10] a family owned and operated Kung Fu academy,^[11] website developers,^[12] a bookstore,^[13] rare record store,^[14] architecture office,^[15] and live music venue,^[16] which hosts cabaret, comedy, acoustic, blues, jazz and world music performances.

References

1. "City building to syndicate for £145,000.". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 31 March 1951. p. 14. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
2. "TATTERSALL'S CLUB.". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 29 August 1922. p. 9. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
3. Harry A. Norris established his own architectural practice in 1919. Norris's first significant city building was the seven-storey Tattersall's Club premises (now Curtin House) at 252 Swanston Street in 1922 Pg 131. Moreland North of Bell Street, Heritage Study, Volume 2 – Heritage place and precinct citations, Final, April 2011
4. "SWANSTON STREET FIRE.". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 15 April 1921. p. 7. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
5. "SWANSTON STREET FIRE.". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 16 April 1921. p. 20. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
6. "NUNAN'S BUILDINGS FIRE.". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 23 July 1921. p. 17. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
7. "Classified Advertising.". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 14 August 1920. p. 2. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
8. "Advertising.". Oakleigh Leader (North Brighton, Vic. : 1888 - 1902) (North Brighton, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 16 December 1893. p. 1. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
9. Raising the Curtin, By Larissa Dubecki, April 4, 2007, The Age
10. Rooftop Cinema
11. Wing Chun Bing Fa Kung Fu Academy
12. Tundra
13. Metropolis
14. Collectors Corner
15. SIBLING
16. the Toff in Town

External links

Media related to Curtin House at Wikimedia Commons

• 248 TO 258 SWANSTON STREET MELBOURNE 3000, Heritage Listing - City of Melbourne
• Vertical retailing - City of Melbourne