Flat building "Birtley Towers" including interior

Item details


Name of item:	Flat building "Birtley Towers" including interior
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Residential buildings (private)
Category:	Flat
Primary address:	8 Birtley Place, Elizabeth Bay, NSW 2011
Local govt. area:	Sydney

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
8 Birtley Place	Elizabeth Bay	Sydney			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	Birtley Tower is of local historical and aesthetic significance. It provides evidence of the early twentieth century residential apartment development in the Elizabeth Bay area. It is a fine example of the Inter - War Art Deco style and of the work of architect Emil Sodersten, showing the influence of Walter Burley Griffin and Eric Nicolls, with whom Sodersten had worked. It is superbly sited above a small cliff with notable landscaped grounds.
	Date significance updated: 27 Sep 12
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	Emil Sodersten
Construction years:	1933-1934
Physical description:	A nine storey Inter-War Art Deco style residential flat building, including site and its landscaping. It is the adaptation of the American skyscraper style to Australian apartment design and was the largest apartment block in Australia when completed in 1934. It is approached by rising emtrance driveway and is superbly located on high ground above a small cliff with notable landscaped grounds containing many large shade trees of suitable scale. It is a steel and concrete framed building clad with texture bricks meticulously detailed and decorated with Aztec motifs. The textured face brickwork is graded from darker shades at the base to light shades at the top. The building is "U "shaped, designed to maximise light and views, being symmetrical about the main entrance which has a large porte cocher in arched brickwork, with a central lift tower capped with pyramid roof clad with Roman pattern tiles. The vertically modelled facade has concealed services and steel framed windows. It has slimly moulded Aztec patterned, bronze framed, windows to the main lift. It was planned for fifty-four residential flats, six flats per floor with two bedroomed apartments at each end and one bedroomed apartments in between. It has a elaborately detailed entry foyer.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Excellent near original condition.
	Date condition updated:07 Aug 06
Further information:	Heritage Inventory sheets are often not comprehensive, and should be regarded as a general guide only. Inventory sheets are based on information available, and often do not include the social history of sites and buildings. Inventory sheets are constantly updated by the City as further information becomes available. An inventory sheet with little information may simply indicate that there has been no building work done to the item recently: it does not mean that items are not significant. Further research is always recommended as part of preparation of development proposals for heritage items, and is necessary in preparation of Heritage Impact Assessments and Conservation Management Plans, so that the significance of heritage items can be fully assessed prior to submitting development applications.


Current use:	Residential flats
Former use:	Residential flats

History

Historical notes:

The "Eora people" was the name given to the coastal Aborigines around Sydney. Central Sydney is therefore often referred to as "Eora Country". Within the City of Sydney local government area, the traditional owners are the Cadigal and Wangal bands of the Eora.

With the invasion of the Sydney region, the Cadigal and Wangal people were decimated but there are descendants still living in Sydney today.

The building was built in 1933 to a design by Emil Sodersten, who had previously worked with Walter Burley Griffin and Eric Nicolls, and the design shows these influences. It was built for the Consolidated Real Estate and Investment Company, a private company that financed several Kings Cross apartments.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Residential-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Community facilities-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Birtley Towers is off historical significance as evidence of early 20th century residential apartment development in the Elizabeth Bay area.
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	The building is associated with prominent inter war architect Emil Sodersten who was one of the leading practitioners of the art deco style in Sydney during the Inter - War period..
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	Birtley Towers is of aesthetic significance as a dramatic and excellent example of a large 1930s flat building in the Inter War Art Deco style remaining in near original condition. Superbly sited above a small cliff with notable landscaped grounds containing many large shade trees of suitable scale. Shows influence of architects Walter Burley Griffin and Eric Nicholls in whose office Sodersten had worked.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	A fine representative example of an Inter - War Art Deco style residential flat building found in the inner suburbs of Sydney
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:

The building should be retained and conserved. A Heritage Assessment and Heritage Impact Statement, or a Conservation Management Plan, should be prepared for the building prior to any major works being undertaken. There shall be no vertical additions to the building and no alterations to the façade of the building other than to reinstate original features. The principal room layout and planning configuration as well as significant internal original features including ceilings, cornices, joinery, flooring and fireplaces should be retained and conserved. Any additions and alterations should be confined to the rear in areas of less significance, should not be visibly prominent and shall be in accordance with the relevant planning controls.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date
Local Environmental Plan	Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012	I567	14 Dec 12
Within a conservation area on an LEP
Heritage study

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
South Sydney Heritage Study	1993		Tropman & Tropman Architects		Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written	Anita Heiss		Aboriginal People and Place, Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City
Written	Architecture, 1 April 1934	1934
Written	Caroline Bulter Bowdon and Charles Pickett	2007	Homes in the Sky
Written	Graham Jahn	1997	Sydney Architecture

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	2420115

Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the Database Manager.

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