Iconic Harts Mill - One of the Abandoned Buildings in Port Adelaide
Many people think that we are lucky to have preserved such a fine collection of architecture in Adelaide. Grand and imposing Victorian buildings, tiny workers' cottages, sleek yet simple Art Deco structures, and striking but featureless modern towers all sit comfortably together.
Last year the Adelaide City Council and the National Trust's
Adelaide City Heritage site ran a public competition to find out what's our favourite building in Adelaide. A total of 192 buildings were nominated, and
the finalists included a good cross section of building styles from around the CBD.
The ornate grandeur of
West's Coffee Palace, the Greek styled
Museum of Economic Botany and the modern minimalist magic of the
Bicentennial Conservatory all made it on to the list of selected finalists. At the time the SAHMRI building was still under construction, or it surely would have been a finalist too.
The SAHMRI Building and New Royal Adelaide Hospital
When media personality Keith Conlon was asked to
name his favourite building in Adelaide, his choices were mostly classical but elegant. They included the Beehive Corner, Parliament House and Adelaide Fruit and Produce Exchange.
In general younger people seem to have a preference for more modern buildings - especially tall towers. Despite this the recent
huge queues at open days for
Z Ward Glenside showed that some older buildings can also have a strong attraction for younger people.
Does Z Ward Glenside Have Paranormal Activity?
Admirers of architecture in Adelaide can now
take advantage of new technology to learn more about their favourite buildings - your smart phone can be the key to unlocking their stories. History SA is slowly extending its encyclopaedic
History Hub into the suburbs and regions of SA too, giving greater access to information about the history of places around the state.
It's often worthwhile
peeking into building lobbies - some buildings that look dirty and dingy on the outside can be quite opulent on the inside.
An Old Bank Vault Uncovered During Open House Adelaide
brings a wonderful opportunity to explore places that are normally inaccessible, and can open the door to some very unusual finds.
Of course your favourite building in Adelaide need not be in the CBD. There are many spectacular and
unusual houses in Adelaide suburbs, and others are just
quite odd.
Port Adelaide contains some awesome examples of buildings that I like - the monumental Harts Mill towering over the Port River, and the massive wool stores from a more prosperous bygone age. Renewal SA and the
Adelaide Chapter of the Art Deco and Modernism Society recently hosted an Art Deco tour of Port Adelaide, and I was surprised at the number of buildings from this period that exist in the Port. Perhaps my favourite building on the tour was not actually Art Deco at all - the Port Adelaide Masonic Centre is an Egyptian Revival building with subtly styled whimsical motifs decorating the fascia.
Whimsical Motifs on Port Adelaide Masonic Building
Seaside Semaphore too has a collection of quite
unusual structures that you see rarely anywhere else, while the Adelaide Hills is peppered with
grand mansions and
disused mine buildings from the 19th century.
Urban explorers are always on the lookout for
abandoned buildings in Adelaide, hoping to find
secret tunnels or hidden basements. Generally these buildings are dilapidated and run down, but there are still some favourites left standing.
Inside Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral
Do you have a favourite building in Adelaide city or one of the regions of South Australia? Many regional centres such as Gawler and
Mount Gambier have an impressive collection of grand buildings which are a testament of wealthier times.
Let's hear about your favourite building choice in the comments - I imagine there will some surprises!
