The story of Parliament House is one of staged construction and architectural ambition thwarted. Work on this began in 1856 and progressed until 1929. A 20 storey dome that would sit on top of the Vestibule was to be the crowning glory. There had been problems with the quality of the stone used on the building. Although tests in 1882 eventually approved the stone, they delayed work. Now confronted by altered economic conditions, the Minister for Works, Alfred Deakin, cancelled the contract for the Dome which has never been built...
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When the Minister Alfred Deakin cancelled the contract for the Dome, I wonder if he thought of other huge projects that were never quite complete. Or were completed over many many decades, at great cost to their communities. I think the dome would have been a very sympathetic part of the Melbourne building, but at least our Parliament House has been 100% workable. Imagine if you were Gaudi, going past Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and knowing it would probably never be usable.
ReplyDeleteSuch a regal building.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2017/01/church-of-primacy-of-peter.html
Wow what a beautiful building. I am going there for sure when we go to Melbourne
ReplyDeleteI hope things in your hemisphere aren't as bad as they are in North America. We Canadians tremble at the thought of things to come in the US. Meanwhile, we're happy to be Canadian.
ReplyDeleteKay
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
As a Melbournian and I've always thought that Parliament House looked a little unfinished and flat on top. Then I discovered that a dome was part of the design, in fact the final touch to our wonderful seat of democracy. Having the Exhibition Building long resplendent with its Grand Dome, this duo would be a fine reminder of The Gold Rush Era in this, The World's Most Liveable City. After The Queen Vic Market gets its (hopefully) tender makeover, let's go for the DOME!
ReplyDeleteagreed !
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