Melbourne Buildings

109-113 Russell Street, Melbourne

109 Russell Street is a three storey red brick and render warehouse at the corner of Flinders Lane and Russell Street.  It was built in 1910 for Beath, Scheiss and Feldstead clothing manufacturers to a design by architects HW & FB Tompkins and forms part of a significantly intact pre World War II streetscape on both Flinders Lane and Russell Streets.

Despite a heritage overlay and D heritage grading, the City of Melbourne granted approval for the building to be demolished in 2002 and planning minister Justin Madden called it in to approve demolition in 2010 after years of debate by the Heritage Council of Victoria about proposed partial demolition of the Victoria Carpark next door.

While notably lacking of significant ornament, the stripped classical warehouse design shows Chicago school influences.  It  is articulated at various levels, the ground floor is high with large showroom windows and the second level is visually separated from the two upper storeys and the ground level by rendered cornices.  Brick piers rise to a castellated parapet with plain spandrels of the recessed window mullions.

From 1911 to 1969 this buildings was used as a automobile showroom, the vertical faded sign “DODGE” is visible on the corner of the building’s Russell Street facade.  It was used in the 1970s as a hairdressers academy and Holmes Commercial Colleges.

Known through the 1980s simply as “Baron’s” as it was tenanted by Baron’s Furniture.

The City of Melbourne granted the building heritage status following in its heritage study of 1984.

References

• City of Melbourne i-Heritage
• Central Activities District Conservation Study – Graeme Butler, 1984
• Report by City Watch concerning Ammendment L216 to Melbourne Planning Scheme