ACT News

Sydney Building worth restoring, says architect

The architect responsible for a 1990s restoration of part of the historic Melbourne Building has called for its sister structure to be fully restored to its former glory.

Following Monday's intense fire in the parallel Sydney Building, noted Canberra architect Roger Pegrum said a restoration of the East Row facade should be a priority after the building's structure is made fully sound.

''Canberra will do well if the owners of the building patch it up well,'' Mr Pegrum said.

''When the Melbourne Building burnt down in 1953, it was rebuilt with concrete floors instead of timber and they put in a sprinkler system so it can never burn down again.''

Mr Pegrum oversaw the restoration of the western half of the Melbourne Building, built later than its likeness across Northbourne Avenue.

Both buildings, designed by John Sulman and constructed in two phases in 1926-7 and 1941-6, have separate dwellings behind a framework consisting of a fixed facade with central courtyard spaces.


Referencing the 15th-century architect Filippo Brunelleschi, 20th-century revivalist and Spanish Mission styles, both buildings have Roman pattern roof tiles.

They are considered historically significant as the first privately funded buildings in the national capital.

''I think they're lovely things to have and it won't be too difficult to make it look new again,'' Mr Pegrum said. ''They're concrete columns, they're brick walls. The steel windows will have to be remade but people like it because it looks well.''

He said fire-proofing systems including sprinklers inside the building were likely to be required as part of approval for any works.

''It sometimes happens that you can find old tiles and, in some cases, you take tiles from places that are not visible and put them where they will be visible.

''I wouldn't mind betting there's a stack of tiles somewhere.''

Salsabor Dance Studio, gutted by the fire that is thought to have started in the Coo Japanese restaurant below, has arranged for temporary spaces for classes resuming on Monday.

Director Andrea Paez-Warner learnt of the fire while in the United States. ''One of my instructors was at the Civic Bus Interchange on his way to work and he sent me a message saying a fire had broken out in the building and was spreading fast,'' she said from Minneapolis.

''I will be flying back home [on Thursday] to make sure the business continues to run as smoothly as possible.''

Classes had been halted until Monday and temporary venues would be used in the interim, she said.

"We hold a relevant insurance policy and will be relying on the policy to submit claims, but we have to wait for WorkSafe ACT to structurally clear the building before the insurance assessor can enter,'' Ms Paez-Warner said.

''In the four years we have occupied this building, there haven't been any incidents to cause us concerns about fire like the one suffered on Monday.

''The most important thing is that no one was hurt. This will not stop our business running - as Australian Latinas we don't scare easy.''