Storm damage reveals hidden historic gem, sparks calls for facelift rethink
Wild weather this week has exposed a hidden relic from the city’s past, and sparked new calls for developers to rethink their taste in makeovers.
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Heritage advocates are calling for plain modern facades to be removed to expose a building's beauty, after an 1880s Victorian building was revealed by wild weather this week.
The original facade of the four-storey building, on Gawler Place, was uncovered when perspex panels and metal framing fell from the structure during Wednesday’s storm activity.
Adelaide City Council candidate and Alexander Wilkinson Design director Sandy Wilkinson said he was even “surprised” it was there having surveyed historical CBD buildings.
“When I first got elected onto the council back in 2007, I walked the city and I identified 183 buildings that had been overlooked for heritage listing,” Mr Wilkinson said.
“A number of those had not been picked up (for listing) because they were hidden by cladding. I didn’t even know this building was there and I was looking for it.”
Mr Wilkinson, who served on the council from 2007 to 2018, has centred his election campaign around the advocacy of heritage, development and urban design.
“It’s often painted that heritage means no development or progress, but take the State Bank Building for example, they kept the facade and the taller building was behind it,” he said.
Mr Wilkinson has previously suggested property owners remove cladding from historical buildings and said “if you don’t ask the answer is always no”.
“The dilemma of this is most of these buildings haven’t been heritage-listed so you get the commercial property owners being reticent that if it gets heritage-listed it can’t be demolished in the future,” he said.
Architect Elizabeth Vines said she “strongly supported” modern facades being removed.
“It was fashionable to cover these buildings and the loose expression was ‘tin canning’ as you can peel the shell of a tin back and reveal what’s inside,” Professor Vines said.
“It’s now 2022 and these sorts of frontages are becoming so rare and so precious that when they are revealed we should do the best we can to save them.
“I think we should do everything we can to encourage the owners to reveal the facade and keep it, as it would be a great contribution to the city.”
Buildings that have had modern facelifts removed include the Polites-owned Clutterbuck building, on Hindley St, and Beehive Corner, on King William St.
Historical buildings still covered by cladding include an 1880s building at 78 Currie St and a bluestone mansion at 61 Flinders St.
Heritage Council chairman Keith Conlon said people were attracted to the city’s 19th and early 20th century heritage; “they enjoy the character and design”.
Former councillor and cultural advocate Greg Mackie said facades were used to modernise a street front, but if the property owner wanted they could easily reveal a building’s heritage.
“Where the heritage fabric remains intact it does create an opportunity for a future time, or the present to remove the facade to expose the heritage fabric,” Mr Mackie said.
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