The Downing Centre is a major courthouse complex in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It features state government courts, including the Local Court, the District Court, and a law library known as the Downing Centre Library. The Downing Centre forms part of the Department of Justice and houses court services and sheriffs offices.
The Downing Centre is located in the Sydney central business district, on Liverpool Street, between Elizabeth Street and Castlereagh Street. It sits opposite the south-west corner of Hyde Park and Museum railway station. A subway links the Downing Centre directly to Museum Station from an entrance on Castlereagh Street.
Originally called the Mark Foy's Piazza Store, the building was renamed as the Downing Centre in 1991 in honour of Reg Downing, a former NSW Attorney General and Minister for Justice.
Video Downing Centre
History
Initially a two-storey building designed by Arthur Anderson of the architectural firm McCredie & Anderson, the Downing Centre was built in 1908 in the Australian Interwar Stripped Classical architectural style as a retail emporium for Mark Foy's. In 1924, Spain Cosh & Epslin Architects, in consultation with Ross & Rowe Architects, were paid to design eight alterations and additions. The building was originally intended to cover the whole block but was not completed. It is now an eight-storey building with portions of the original building remaining intact. The façade employs the classical orders using white bricks with yellow faience work to the sills and cornices. Two corner towers with yellow pinnacles surmount the building. Art Nouveau influences are evident in the external detailing. Mark Foy's closed in 1980 and was taken over by Grace Bros. who traded there until 1983.
The building was converted for use as courts in 1985. On 20 October 1980 the building was listed on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate; and on 2 April 1999 was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register with the following statement of significance:
The Downing Centre is accommodated within a major interwar retailing building which was owned and operated as Mark Foys for most of the 20th century until the 1980s. Prominently located at the intersection of Castlereagh and Liverpool Streets, it is a landmark building of the interwar period in Sydney.
Maps Downing Centre
Gallery
See also
- City of Sydney
- Australian non-residential architectural styles
References
Attribution
This article incorporates text by New South Wales State Heritage Register available under the CC BY 3.0 AU licence.
External links
- Court locations, D at NSW Department of Justice
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments