Most Manhattan/NYC style buildings in Sydney?

mobus said:

Does the Burns Philp Building in Bridge Street count?


Burns Philp Building by Merryjack, on Flickr

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Very interesting...I would say oston, rather than New York, as it appears to be a Richardsonain Romanesque building!

It depends what you consider 'New York'. I mean a lot of NYC's classical architecture was influenced largely by Europe, particularly the Gothic Revival. It's simply inaccurate to say that Melbourne is more 'grand' in terms of older architecture, as Sydney pushes above its weight. It is home to a number of beautiful old buildings.


Queen Victoria Building, Sydney by kevgibbo, on Flickr

Louie Vuitton building, CBD



St Mary's rink by peter hindmarsh, on Flickr


Older Sydney Architecture.jpg by djsametz1, on Flickr


Old Sydney Building: York Street by Craig Jewell Photography, on Flickr


Architecture in Sydney, Australia by ACM83, on Flickr


central_12 by roxstyle, on Flickr


FH030011_2 by hiromori, on Flickr

CULWULLA said:

sydney has many nyc style buildings
i look as them as mini manhattan bldgs. we all know there not as tall blah blah blah
but the designs are there.

magic 30s
CML 1936

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This building actually reminds me of the old BBC Headquarters in London.


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iYrXW1E1wsM/Tj8wPlswA9I/AAAAAAAABWg/VGI1DyRjiVs/s1600/07BBCLondon.JPG

I don't think there are that many examples of 'New York-esque' buildings in Australia. The great majority of buildings in New York City are generally pretty ugly. This building (Sydney's former T&G, demolished in '75) reminds me of something you would see lining Central Park.


(posted by cul)

^^ That is a Chicagoesque design not NYC. Only Melbourne's similar T&G on Collins street remains.

The thing is, many people believe that New York City pioneered these architectural styles, however most of them originated in Western Europe. Australia being a member of the Commonwealth sees that in the beginning and during the gold rushes, it was more architecturally influenced by Europe. I think many people use New York as a comparison point because of its global influence, but that's an entirely different matter.

Dimethyltryptamine said:

The great majority of buildings in New York City are generally pretty ugly.

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Much like Sydney... there's a heap of 50s and 60s crap that litters the CBD. hno:

One of the most New York like buildings in Australia though I think is the Victorian Parliament, the James Farley Post Office on 8th Avenue strongly reminds me of it.

Sydney County Council Building

200ft high
Charles plaza 1936

empireofthesun said:

The thing is, many people believe that New York City pioneered these architectural styles, however most of them originated in Western Europe. Australia being a member of the Commonwealth sees that in the beginning and during the gold rushes, it was more architecturally influenced by Europe. I think many people use New York as a comparison point because of its global influence, but that's an entirely different matter.

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What architectural styles?

The skyscraper, the setback-style, the Chicago School and Richardsonian Romanesque all developed in Boston, New York and Chicago. Western Europe had nothing to do with it.

empireofthesun said:

And what can we even define as NYC style architecture? Gothic buildings and skyscrapers post 1900? Federal architecture and terrace homes?

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Good question: I would say cast-iron architecture, brownstones, Gothic-style skyscrapers, the use of the setback, the development of the luxury apartment building, the penthouse, certain forms of Art Deco that make use of Native American motifs, the Colonial Revival (used on 20-story buildings), the mixed-use development, the skyscraper atrium, decorative modernim (Lincoln Center, etc.) pocket parks and "semi-public space" are all New York developments. I would identify American Beaux-Arts as chiefly a New York-based development as well (Grand Central Terminal, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Ansonia, etc.).

New York's contributions to world architecture are less about actual styles and more about use, practice and accessibility. Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles are much more historically "creative" as architectural centers.

Dimethyltryptamine said:

The great majority of buildings in New York City are generally pretty ugly.

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That is a million times more far-fetched than anything I have ever said on here. Period. :bash:

Vocodr said:

Don't really agree about the Anzac Arcade bldgs - they've always reminded me of Boer/South African colonial buildings. One building in Brisbane that I think looks *very* NYC (the only one) is the Manor Apartments. In fact, it stood in for a New York skyscraper in the 1996 film "Phantom" starring Billy Zand and Catherine Zeta-Jones, which was largely filmed at Warner Bros Movieworld and in/around Brisbane.

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Which skyscraper did it stand in for? That's a gorgeous building, wish Sydney or Melbourne had something like it, because it's very tall for an older building. :cheers::cheers:

mobus said:

That is a million times more far-fetched than anything I have ever said on here. Period. :bash:

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And I question whether you have ever even set foot in Manhattan...

New York isn't full of grand old buildings from yesteryear. There is plenty of 50s/60s/70s shit, housing commission towers and the likes... don't be a moron.

Truly bizarre behaviour. Wilful ignorance or cognitive dissonance?

mobus said:

Which skyscraper did it stand in for? That's a gorgeous building, wish Sydney or Melbourne had something like it, because it's very tall for an older building. :cheers::cheers:

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Colonial Mutual Life building. most aussie cities had one. Adealide still has one.same for Hobart.
they are all approx 10storeys or 40m./ (brisbanes had a central LMR took it to 53m).
the Manor looks taller because of its this floor plate.It was built in 1931. sydney and melbourne has dozens of similar buildings from the 30s era and even taller.

YOU CAN ALWAYS CHECKOUT THE CML THREAD>>
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=830614&highlight=cml+buildings

slsc said:

Colonial Mutual Life building. most aussie cities had one. Adealide still has one.same for Hobart.
they are all approx 10storeys or 40m./ (brisbanes had a central LMR took it to 53m).
the Manor looks taller because of its this floor plate.It was built in 1931. sydney and melbourne has dozens of similar buildings from the 30s era and even taller.

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Sydney's had more than one, this one in Martin Place.


Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Bg., 14 Martin place by sftrajan, on Flickr

And this one that was demolished.


Mutual Life Assurance Office by Powerhouse Museum Collection, on Flickr

^that one dates 40 years before Brisbanes CML. that was a big loss

Dimethyltryptamine said:

And I question whether you have ever even set foot in Manhattan...

New York isn't full of grand old buildings from yesteryear. There is plenty of 50s/60s/70s shit, housing commission towers and the likes... don't be a moron.

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Of course I have and I know this well enough to know that it isn't full of shit.

Mornnb said:

Sydney's had more than one, this one in Martin Place.


Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Bg., 14 Martin place by sftrajan, on Flickr

And this one that was demolished.


Mutual Life Assurance Office by Powerhouse Museum Collection, on Flickr

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Sydney's Colonial Mutual Life doesn't look as NYC Gothic as Brisbane's Manor Apartments, which are so gorgeous.