Manufacturers House is a heritage-listed office building at 35–37 Watt Street,

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City of Newcastle The City of Newcastle is a local government area in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. The City of Newcastle incorporates much of the area of the Newcastle metropolitan area. The Lord Mayor of City of Newcastle Council is Counci ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. It was designed by Spain and Cosh and built in the 1920s. It is also known as Manufacturer's Mutual Building. It was added to the

New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...

on 2 April 1999.

History

The building was constructed in the 1920s to the design of Spain and Cosh. Manufacturers house was one of 30 buildings on which a section 130 order was placed in 1981 because of their importance to the Newcastle Business District and East End. A Permanent Conservation Order was placed over the building on 15 June 1984. It was transferred to the State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Description

Manufacturers House is a three-storey building designed in the Classic Revival Style. Its

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

-clad facade features a base,

columns A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

, two storeys high capped by a detailed string course and a third floor terminated with a

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). Whe ...

including

balusters A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its cons ...

. It retains its original multi-paned windows. A particularly fine feature of Manufacturers House is its splayed corner which incorporates the main entrance flanked by two sandstone columns. Internally the building is divided into small offices with access of a spine corridor. Of particular interest are the stairwell and the corridor areas.Heritage Office Branch Managers Report 26/1/1984 It has been substantially improved to provide modern commercial premises.Media Release 1984

Heritage listing

Manufacturers House was listed on the

on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria. The place has a strong or special association with a person, or group of persons, of importance of cultural or natural history of New South Wales's history. Constructed in the 1920s to the design of the architects Spain and Cosh. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. The building is designed in Classic Revival style and is located on a prominent corner at the centre of Newcastle business district.

References

Attribution

External links