Chemistry Building, University of Melbourne

The Chemistry Building is a university teaching facility used by the University's School of Chemistry, located at Masson Road, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The building was designed by Percy Edgar Everett,[1] who at the time was employed by the Victorian Public Works Department.[2] It was built in 1938 at a time of major expansion at the University through the 1920s and 1930s.

Chemistry Building
Chemistry Building, entrance viewed from the north, May 2013
Alternative names
  • School of Chemistry Building
  • Building 134
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeAcademic administration
Architectural style
LocationMasson Road, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus, Melbourne, Victoria
CountryAustralia
Coordinates37°47′53″S 144°57′43″E
Completed1938
OwnerThe University of Melbourne
Technical details
MaterialCream brickwork
Floor count2
Design and construction
Architect(s)Percy Edgar Everett
Website
www2.chemistry.unimelb.edu.au
Official nameChemistry Building - University Of Melbourne
TypeState heritage (built)
Designated5 August 1996
Reference no.65073
SignificanceNational Trust

The building is best described as a modernist, inter-war, gothic architecture, and due to this it has been deemed to be of state historical and architectural significance on the National Trust register.[1][3]

Description

The Chemistry Building is a distinctive modern interpretation of a Collegiate Gothic style. Its most notable features, which are stylistic of the inter-war period, are the cream brickwork, bold massing and highly detailed tower decoration.[1] In recent years the Chemistry Building had interior redevelopments to bring the outdated technology and amenities up to the standard required for modern chemistry research.[3]

Key influence and design approach

During the 1930s when the building was constructed, Melbourne University placed a lot of importance on the opinions of experts such as chemists. For this reason, Ernst Johannes Hartung, a professor of chemistry at the time, designed most of the interior of the building to suit the specific requirements of chemistry research.[4]

The Masson Theatre in the chemistry school has a heritage listing despite losing its impressive two-storey high rolling blackboards and theatre-wide front rostrum in the late 1980s.[5] It has undergone a recent renovation addressing safety concerns but preserving the remaining character. [6]

  • Entrance view (from north)
    Entrance view (from north)
  • North elevation
    North elevation
  • Close-up view of entrance
    Close-up view of entrance
  • Southwest view
    Southwest view
  • West view
    West view

References
  1. "Chemistry Building, University of Melbourne". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  2. "Historic Campus Tour" (PDF). The University of Melbourne. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  3. "Chemistry Building Redevelopment". School of Chemistry. The University of Melbourne. Archived from the original on 19 December 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  4. "Chemistry at Melbourne : The First 100 Years" (PDF). The University of Melbourne. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  5. "189". 12 April 2019.
  6. "Uom Masson Theatre". 20 October 2015.
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