Monday, July 05, 2010

The Prince Alfred’s Tower


The Prince Alfred’s Tower, part of the Melbourne Town Hall building, can be seen the Town Hall clock, which was made 4 years after the town hall's completion. Designed by Smith and Sons of London, the clock was presented to the Council by Vallange Condell, son of Melbourne's first Mayor, on 1874. The clock measures 8 feet in diameter and its hands, which are purely made from copper, measure 3 feet and 10 inches long (for the longer hand) and weighs 8.85 kilograms.

Aside from the clock, also inside the town hall are two grand organs, which were installed in 1872. Unfortunately, a few decades later, specifically in 1925, the town hall was subject to a huge fire, destroying a great part of the place, including the main auditorium and one of the two organs. The burned part of the town hall, along with the piano, was then rebuilt and refurnished. The auditorium, on the other hand, was overhauled and enlarged.

Though not all features of the burned town hall were replaced, like the mansrad roof, the Melbourne Town Hall is still known for its classy interiors. Designed by architects Kennedy Grainger and Yulle, the building's interiors reflect a mixture of Italian and English inspirations dating from the 1500 to 1800. Inside the town hall can also be found furniture and other pieces made with the style and elegance of the building itself.

4 comments:

Oakland Daily Photo said...

Artistic capture. I like especially that you took it through that filagree of fine branches.

Mary Ann said...

This is really beautiful. I liked reading about the architecture and a bit about the building's past. Thanks!

arabesque said...

wow, such artistry in this picture. ^0^
the branches added more drama to it.

Gemma Wiseman said...

A beautiful view! The foliage gives a feeling of peering at old secret beauty!

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