Former "Manufacturers House" including interiors

Item details


Name of item:	Former "Manufacturers House" including interiors
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Manufacturing and Processing
Category:	Other - Manufacturing & Processing
Location:	Lat: -33.8668086674097 Long: 151.208799310227
Primary address:	12-14 O'Connell Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Local govt. area:	Sydney

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
12-14 O'Connell Street	Sydney	Sydney			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	Manufacturers House, is a nine storey building built for the NSW Chamber of Manufacturers in the early 1930s, in a modest Inter War Art Deco Style. The building comprises predominantly Australian materials, and is significant for its reflection of the cautious emergence of business confidence following the period of economic depression and industrial unrest of the late 1920s.The building is a rare and outstanding example of a highly intact original commercial face brick exterior of high quality design with outstanding potential to continue in its restored state. The building is well resolved in its detailing in both its interior and exterior and is particularly noted for its use of face brick and chevron motifs, and its relationship of materials to the adjacent Delfin House. The building is significant for its contribution to the development of the Hunter and O'Connell Street Art Deco precinct.
	Date significance updated: 21 Mar 06
	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:	S H Buchanan & Cowper
Builder/Maker:	Robert Wall & Sons
Construction years:	1934-1935
Physical description:	Swaab House is located within a precinct of Art Deco buildings and is immediately adjacent to Delfin House. The facade is tripartite with the central section including a higher parapet. The central bay includes five vertical window panels which finish above a two storey glazed doorway with a framed bronze beam and column which incorporates the signage to the building. The upper level windows have been extensively restored and at the lower level new timber double hung windows have been installed. The outer bays are lower, incorporating glazing to the mezzanine and lower doorways. The building features sunrise colortex brickwork with a lighter colour brick to the parapet and eighth floor, and Kanimbla granite to the base. The facade features chevron patterns in the granite and stepped pilasters which angle at the ninth floor. Internally the plan is symmetrical with a longer wing to the northern boundary. The interior has been completely remodelled. Category:Individual Building. Style:Inter-War Art Deco. Storeys:9 (8 plus mezzanine plus basement). Facade:Face brick, Granite, Metal windows. Side/Rear Walls:Render. Internal Walls:Rendered brick. Roof Cladding:Waterproofing membrane. Internal Structure:Reinf. conc. column and beam. Floor:Reinf. conc. slab. Roof:Reinf. conc. slab. Ceilings:Susp. plasterboard. Stairs:2. Fire Stairs:2. Sprinkler System:Yes. Lifts:2. AirConditioned:Yes
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	In general the building facade is intact externally, although the original windows have been extensively replaced. Internally the building has been renovated and no evidence of original finishes exist..Intrusive Elements:The new aluminium glazing, marble facing and granite tiling of the ground floor foyer.
	Date condition updated:10 Jan 06
Modifications and dates:	1935
Further information:	High Significance:All the intact original fabric of the west façade. Low Significance:All the interior spaces. Was a heritage item in 1989 but this listing was revoked through LEP 1992-conservation of heritage items. The listing was reinstated under H-LEP 1998 and the property has remained heritage listed since that time. 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:	Offices
Former use:	Offices

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 European Occupation of the Sydney region from 1788, the Cadigal and Wangal people were largely decimated but there are descendants still living in Sydney today. All cities include many immigrants in their population.

This building was erected in 1934-1935 as headquarters for the Manufacturers' Mutual Insurance Ltd, and to provide premises for the New South Wales Chamber of Manufactures. The Company had originally occupied premises lower down O'Connell Street which it had long outgrown, but in the atmosphere of economic depression, industrial unrest and political uncertainty of the early thirties, it had been difficult for companies to pursue "bold" policies involving large-scale expenditure. However, in February 1934 the magazine Building reported that the building industry was beginning to reflect a growing political confidence in the NSW government and cited the decision of the Manufacturers' Mutual Insurance Co to proceed with a new building in O'Connell Street as an example of this confidence. The building was officially opened by the Premier of NSW on 26 February 1935. In his opening toast the Premier congratulated the company on having been in business for 21 years and on the growth of the company having culminated in the erection of its own building. The Premier went on to draw attention to the fact that the new building was "Australian built, of Australian material" and that the architects had made free use of Australian products. He also drew attention to the provision in the building of "an elaborate clinic for the treatment of factory employees" as showing a recognition of the social responsibilities of employers and as evidence of a new "cooperative relationship between employer and employee." He was referring to a clinic for the treatment of workers compensation cases, and the fact that the company conducted a large workers' compensation business. In March 1935 the magazine Building carried a review of the recently completed Manufacturers' House. The building was not only the latest but "one of the most worthy " additions to O'Connell St.

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Manufacturers House is significant as a building constructed for the NSW Chamber of Manufacturers in the early 1930s, in a modest Art Deco style and using predominantly Australian building materials, and reflecting the cautious emergence of business confidence following the period of economic depression and industrial unrest of the late 1920s.
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	Associated with architects SH Buchanan and Cowper.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	This building provided an early use of the separation of zones within a building to comply with building regulations.. The facade is a rare and outstanding example of a highly intact original commercial face brick exterior of a high quality design with outstanding potential to continue in its restored state. The building is well resolved in its detailing in its exterior and is particularly noted for its use of face brick and chevron motifs and its relationship of materials to Delfin House. The building is significant for its contribution to the development of the Hunter and O'Connell Street Art Deco precinct.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The building has outstanding ability to reflect the social concerns of the organisation in the provision of the only inhouse clinic of its time. The building was unique in the provision of a new type of assurance chamber which facilitated public visibility of the work area..
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	The facade is a rare and outstanding example of a highly intact original commercial face brick exterior of a high quality design with outstanding potential to continue in its restored state.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The building is representative of the development of this area in the 1930s in the Art Deco style.
Integrity/Intactness:	Externally largely intact. Internally has been extensively remodeled.
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:

General: The overall form of the Manufacturers House should be retained and conserved. Finishes never intended for painting such as the face brick and granite, should continue to be appropriately maintained. Surfaces intended for painting such as timber windows should continue to be painted in appropriate colours. Exterior: All remaining intact fabric on the external facades should be retained and conserved. As the original building has been surrounded by adjacent buildings of greater height the addition of further floors to the building to a height equivalent to the adjacent Delfin House may be acceptable. Any additional floors should be stepped back behind the facade so as not to impact on the existing view of the cornice from the street. Any future development should preserve the existing form, external surfaces and materials of the facade. Door and window openings should not be enlarged or closed in. Interior: As the interiors have been extensively remodelled and there is little of significance remaining inside the building, further alterations could be carried out, provided any future internal work does not compromise further the facades of the buildings. Future refurbishment should recover significance by the reinstatement of a foyer finish more appropriate to the original design.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012	I1902	14 Dec 12
Heritage study

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written		1935	Sydney Morning Herald 27.2.1935 p.14
Written		1935	Building 12.3.1935 pp.20-28
Written		1934	Building 12.2.1934 pp 8, 10
Written		1929	Sydney Morning Herald 29.11.1929 p.16
Written	Anita Heiss		Aboriginal People and Place, Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City

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

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Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	2423718

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