Filigree architecture

Old Sir Joseph Banks Hotel, Botany (c. 1884).

Ardmore terrace houses, Fremantle (c. 1898)

Filigree architecture is a modern term given to a phase in the history of Australian architecture. The phase was an embellishment of the "Australian verandah tradition", where the verandah evolved from its functional usages in the Old Colonial period to become highly ornamental.

The filigree style was a vernacular tradition of buildings possessing prominent verandahs that screened the facade, cloaking the exterior in an ornamental veil that obscured the rest of building. On filigree-style buildings, the verandah was the main visual element. The name "filigree" refers to the intricate texture of this screen-like verandah, which was often perforated to let air and light pass through, creating dazzling displays of shadows.

In the Victorian era, the style exploded into popularity. Double and triple-storey verandahs lined the main streets, with some rare examples reaching up to four storeys. Victorian Filigree-style verandahs were made almost exclusively from cast iron, and their delicate appearance gave rise to the term: "cast iron lacework". In the Federation era, the style evolved into the Federation Filigree style, when timber eclipsed cast iron as the material of choice, and the shape and form of the verandah became more novel.

The style was mainly popularised by speculative builders, but it also did not have a class consciousness, being used both on humble workers cottage developments, as well as by prominent commercial architects such as Richard Gailey and Andrea Stombuco. Neither was it reserved for a single setting, being used in domestic, commercial, and governmental settings, becoming particularly well associated with the Australian terrace house, and the Australian verandah'd pub.

These strong associations have led to the filigree style being "regarded as distinctly Australian." And while both ornamental cast iron and verandahs can be found elsewhere in the world, Australia possesses a unique interpretation of the design and form of this style, as well as a prevalence unseen elsewhere.

Terminology History

Palma Rosa, Hamilton (1887) was proposed by Apperly, Irving, & Reynolds as an example of a building whose defining feature is its verandah screen.

"Filigree" was first proposed as a style descriptor by architectural historian Richard Apperly, and was popularised in 'A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture: Styles and Terms from 1788 to the Present' (1989) by Richard Apperly, Robert Irving & Peter Reynolds. With the book, they attempted to establish a series of guidelines governing Australian architectural styles. Australian architectural history was split into six distinct, chronological eras: Old Colonial; Victorian; Federation; Inter-War; Post-War; and Late-Twentieth Century.

A particular focus of Apperly, Irving, & Reynolds was recognising unique, Australian trends that had so far been unrecognised in academia. They coined the term "Filigree" to describe the prevalence of buildings possessing prominent verandah and balcony structures that dominate the facade, hiding the building's external walls behind an intricately-textured verandah screen that subsumed the building. The name "filigree" refers to the intricate texture of the balustrades, columns, brackets and freizes that made up that verandah screen, which was often perforated to let air and light pass through. This lacy, filigree screen was designed to stand proud of the mass of the main building, creating an in-between space that was both public and private.

Apperly, Irving, & Reynolds divided Filigree architecture into two main phases. Victorian Filigree described architecture with a visually dominant verandah or balcony constructed during the Victorian era between c. 1840 – c. 1900. The primary verandah construction material in this era was cast iron, often referred to as "cast iron lacework" . Federation Filigree describes the continuation of this verandah tradition into the Federation era (c. 1890 – c. 1920). In this period cast iron (though still in usage) was eclipsed by the demand for novel, naturalised materials such as timber and hand-worked wrought iron.

Verandah structures and decorative cast iron were common components of Victorian and Federation architecture, and the prevalence of these components on Italianate, Gothic, and Second Empire styled buildings indicates their popularity at the time. However their presence did not necessarily characterise a building as being of the filigree style, this term being reserved for buildings whereby the lacework verandah is the main external design feature.

Origins

Elizabeth Farm, Parramatta (1894). Single-storey bungalow with verandah shading against the northern sun. Openwork columns probably added c. 1865 during repairs.

Lyons Terrace, Hyde Park (1841)

The first verandah structures built by European colonisers were bungalow-type buildings perhaps inspired by examples found in other parts of the British Empire through the connection of military officers who had served in India and North America. The Lieutenant Governor, Major Francis Grose had served in North America during the War of Independence and likely would have encountered the verandah during his time there. In 1893, Grose added a verandah to the frontage of the house in which he was residing. Later, during Grose's tenure as governor a single storey verandah was added along the front of Government House, and in 1802 it was extended along the side of the new eastern additions. Captain John Macarthur and his wife Elizabeth built their farmhouse at Parramatta in 1894 with a verandah running along the northern aspect overlooking the river. The verandah in this early period often acted as an external passageway, serving as the access point to rooms which did not connect to each other internally. Most crucially, the verandah also served to protect against both harsh sun and torrential rain.

The wide verandahs afford a cool shelter from the intense heat of the meridian sun, and give the cottages an air of shady retirement, which has its own peculiar elegance.

— Joseph Fowles, Sydney in 1848

Early double-storey verandahs were often constructed out timber and stone, such as the "Rum Hospital" (c.1810-1816), which ran in a long ribbon along a prominent ridgeline on the eastern fringe of Sydney. Another prominent early example of the style was the quadruple-storeyed Royal Hotel on George Street, Sydney (c.1840), whose heavy, towering appearance was much remarked upon by visitors. In 1841, Samuel Lyons, a successful auctioneer and former convict, built the masionistic Lyons Terrace overlooking Hyde Park. It was one of the first terraces which had raised party walls that projected above the roofline, as required by the Building Act 1837, which had been passed by the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales three years earlier. Lyons Terrace was three storeys, with a long double-storey verandah draped in cast ironwork running along the breadth of it. It was a humongous and marvelous building, and it obviously had an effect on the young city. It was repeatedly painted and photographed by locals and visitors alike, and curiously, time and time again it is marked in maps of the city, as if considered a landmark. The double-storey verandah of Como, South Yarra (1847) is of unusual design, consisting of spiked fence railings. On Strickland House, Vaucluse (c. 1856-58), reputedly designed by John Frederick Hilly, a masonry colonnade of Doric columns wraps around the lower level, while the upper level balcony features cast iron railings and Sydney-style cast iron openwork columns.

Victorian Filigree

Terrace pair, South Yarra (1890-91) with specially cast "opera-box" balconies.

Starting with the period of the gold rushes of New South Wales and Victoria, the economy entered into a boom period which lasted until the 1890s. During this time, and often at the expense of the original Aboriginal inhabitants, European-Australians prospered. With this prosperity came a growing demand for more and more ornate styles of architecture, and this boom-time optimism found its physical expression in florid explosions of cast iron lacework decorating the facades of the most triumphant buildings.

Cast iron was not a new material, but technological advances in its production meant that it could now reach a mass market. These lacy filigree screens were at first simple; on Lyons Terrace only the balustrade was made from cast iron lacework, but the style eventually developed to include brackets, friezes, fringes, and sometimes even double-friezes. Some examples in East Melbourne show the change in materials over time: Burlington Terrace, East Melbourne (c. 1867), designed by Charles Webb, features a cast iron balustrade with timber brackets and columns; Lawson Terrace, East Melbourne (c. 1871), features cast iron balustrade and key-frieze, with timber columns and brackets; and Hepburn Terrace, East Melbourne (c. 1878), features balustrade, frieze, brackets and columns all made from ornamental cast iron.

Holcombe Terrace, Carlton (1884)

The basic silhouette of Lyons Terrace (three-storeys with a two-storey verandah) was incredibly influential, and copied repeatedly by terrace rows around the country such as Fitzroy Terrace, East Melbourne (c. 1855); Carlton Terrace, Wynyard (c. 1864); Denver Terrace, Carlton (c. 1866); Carlingford Terrace, Surry Hills (c. 1868-69); Tasma Terrace, East Melbourne (c. 1979); Lawrenny Terrace, Surry Hills (c. 1882); Hughenden Terrace, Petersham (1884); and Herberto Terrace, Glebe (1885). However, not all multi-storey terraces followed the Lyons silhouette. Holcombe Terrace, Carlton (1884), designed by Norman Hitchcock, is a three-storey terrace draped in a matching three-storey veil of lacework. Its polychrome brick facade shimmers underneath the cast ironwork verandah, and the lacework has been painted in cream and maroon to mirror the brickwork, creating a blur of colour that astonishes an onlooker. Other notable, still-standing terraces with triple-storey verandahs include Marine Terrace, Grange Beach (1884); Waverly Terrace, Melbourne (1886); and the singular terrace houses Katoomba House, Millers Point (c. 1875-86); and Bundarra, Surry Hills (c. 1891). The four-storey Milton Terrace, Millers Point (1880-82) features three levels above ground, and a basement level below. Perhaps one of the finest terrace rows in Sydney is the four-storeyed Brent Terrace, Elizabeth Bay (c.1897). Praised for its "florid ornateness," this magnificent row of eight features three levels of matching of cast iron lace from the foundry of Dash & Wise.

Regatta Hotel, Toowong (1886). Richard Gailey, architect.

In this era, the Filigree style became well associated with hotels and pubs. The verandah was a space that was both public and private, and encouraged shady relaxation for its visitors, and so was thus immensely suited for hotels. Initially, timber verandahs were employed. Later, cast iron started to make an appearance. On the double-storey verandah of the Royal Hotel, Hill End (c. 1869-75) a cast iron balustrade graces the upper level, with the roof being held up by Sydney-style openwork columns. The Regatta Hotel, Toowong (1886) presents a three-layered screen of filigree to onlookers. Situated overlooking the Brisbane River, the hotel makes great use of its assets, and patrons can often be seen partying in the cool tropical air on its verandahs. The Regatta was designed by architect Richard Gailey, who practiced extensively in the Filigree style. Other triple-storey pubs designed by Gailey include the Kangaroo Point Hotel, Kangaroo Point (1886); Empire Hotel, Fortitude Valley (1888) and Prince Consort Hotel, Fortitude Valley (1888) and he also designed the Filigree style Moorlands, Auchenflower (1892) The triple-storey verandah of the Kangaroo Point Hotel was removed in 1924, when Filigree-style verandahs were falling out of fashion, but was re-added in a restoration in 1994. Victorian Filigree style pubs were found right across the country, often clothed in locally-cast ornamental iron. The Australian Hotel, Townsville (1888) features a local Queensland pattern. The Palace Hotel, Broken Hill (1889), was designed by architect Alfred Dunn, and features a pattern common in Sydney, while the Post Office Hotel, Bourke (1888) features a pattern from the Sun foundry from Adelaide. These two examples show the competing influence of various Australian cities in the remote outback. Most pubs verandahs sported the same, stock-standard patterns as other buildings, but an exception is the Royal Hotel, Bathurst (c. 1880) whose custom-cast ironwork is emblazoned with its initial "R".

Examples of the Victorian Filigree style

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  Burlington Terrace, East Melbourne (1867).
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  Winsbury Terrace, Millers Point (c. 1875)
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  Rupertswood, Sunbury (1874-76); architect George Brown.
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  Government House, Darwin (c. 1879).
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  Tasma Terrace, East Melbourne (1879). Victorian Free Classical terrace with filigree verandahs.
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  Eynesbury House, Kingswood (1881)
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  Marine Terrace, Grange Beach (1884). A key example of the Adelaide-style, with three storeys of setback filigree verandahs.
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  Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Bank Building, Narrandera. Built 1884-1885.
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  Boronia, Mosman (1885).
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  Reid's Coffee Palace, Ballarat (1886)
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  Railway Administration Building, Rockhampton (1886).
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  Wardlow, Parkville (1888). Italianate mansion with canted verandah screens.
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  Empire Hotel, Fortitude Valley (1888) Smith and Ball, builders. Richard Gailey, architect.
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  London Chartered Bank of Australia Building, Bourke (1888).
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  Kirkston, Windsor (1889).
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  Alpha Terrace, Launceston (late-1880s).

Federation Filigree

The People's Palace, Brisbane, Queensland; a red-brick temperance hotel built in stages between 1910 and 1913.

The Federation Era saw a change in the materials used to construct the verandah screen. For the most part, the style remained essentially the same; large filigree'd verandahs standing proud of the building and dominating the facade. What changed was the materials.

Red-brick buildings were a hallmark of the Federation Filigree style. In the Victorian-Era, the facades of buildings varied: they could be unrendered face-brick or they could be rendered and painted in a myriad of colours; the bricks could be pale blonde, or hawthorn blacks, or any manner of polychrome arrangement. In contrast, one of the defining characteristics of Federation architecture is its affection for an unrendered, red brick facade. This was driven by a historicist interest in the architecture of the Queen Anne period, a kind of reactionary homage to an imagined England of the past. In red brick, the Federation Era had found its staple ingredient, spreading it on every external-facing wall, from train stations to substations, from mansions to terrace houses.

Imperial Hotel, Ravenswood (1901). The "blood-and-bandages" is a key feature, combining with the verandah to create a state of dazzlement.

A quest for novelty and eclecticism often marked architecture in this period, and influences were drawn from Romanesque, Moorish, and Art Nouveau traditions to create eccentric and idiosyncratic facades. Contrast was often created through using clashing materials such as red-brick broken up by bands of white/cream stone or stucco. This is sometimes called a "blood-and-bandages" or "bacon-rind" effect. On the Imperial Hotel, Ravenswood (1901), the verandah is composed of an eclectic mix of timber and cast iron. Each section of the verandah plays with light and colour in different ways. Underneath the verandah, bands of red and white are striped horizontally across the facade. This "blood-and-bandages" design is a key part of the Filigree Style, as it combines with the verandah to dazzle an onlooker with contrasting shapes and colours. Other notable examples of Federation Filigree-styled buildings employing the "blood-and-bandages" effect for dazzlement purposes include the Kurri Kurri Hotel, Kurri Kurri (1904); and the Broadway Hotel, Junee (1914);

The timber verandah is the defining feature of this house on Davey Street, Hobart.

The most marked and relevant change in the Filigree Style was to the filigree itself, with timber becoming the primary material with which verandahs and balconies were constructed. A reactionary dismay at the standardised, industrial nature of the Victorian Era had led to a demand for novel, naturalised materials such as timber and wrought iron. Timber had a natural feeling to it, it was a organic material alluded to thousands of years of carpentry and craftmanship, but in truth it was just as manufactured as cast ironwork. Advancements in technology lead to steam-powered and, later, electricity-powered machines such as bandsaws, jigsaws, and lathes. Suddenly, timber could be carved, fretted, and turned, quickly and cheaply, and vast quantities of timber verandah ornamentation became available to the mass market. Areas that experienced large amounts of upper-middle class development in the Federation era contain some of the best surviving domestic examples of the timbered-verandah style. Notable areas include Sydney's North Shore, Perth, and Launceston which contains many examples including Hargate (c. 1900-03); Kilmarnock (c. 1903); Victoria League House (c. 1905); Werona (c. 1908).

Buchanan's Hotel, Townsville. Built 1902, destroyed 1982. Three-tiered filigree in cast iron, wrought iron, timber and glass.

Wrought iron, worked by hand and containing the all the individual quirks of a crafted commodity, was perhaps the truer expression of this desire for natural forms. Eastbourne House and terraces, East Melbourne (1906), likely designed by Robert Haddon in a florid, personal interpretation of a Federation Art Nouveau-Filigree style, uses wrought iron to smash apart established understanding of lacework balcony norms, drawing the balustrade out and down in a tendril to link up with the frieze beneath it. One of the most famous usages of wrought iron on a Federation verandah was Buchanan's Hotel, Townsville (1902). The triple-storey verandah featured cast iron balustrading; timber columns and ventilation panels; deep wrought iron friezes; and coloured glass insert panels, and was considered by many to be the pinnacle of the Filigree style. The wrought iron frieze panels were manufactured locally by Green's Foundry. In late 1982, a tragic fire tore through the rear section of the hotel leaving it severely damaged, but the brick facade and the verandah sustained only "limited damage". However the council panicked and started demolishing the rear of the building, and when confronted by members of the National Trust destroyed the frontage under the cover of nighttime. Glass was a fairly rare verandah component, but another notable Federation Filigree building to employ it was Soden's Hotel Australia, Albury, which incorporates curvaceous Art Nouveau-style stained glass and wrought iron. The verandah was quite late construction, with the hotel's licensee James Soden first constructing the grand entryway porch in 1920, then extending it into a whole wraparound verandah in 1925.

Federation Filigree-style verandahs were often combined with the Queen Anne style, marrying turned-timbered verandahs with Tudor-esque gables and a cottage-like feel. On Beaufort Street in West Perth is a row of Federation Queen Anne-Filigree grand-terraces built c.1897. The grandeur of the turreted row contrasts with the quaont Queen Anne detailing.

Examples of the Federation Filigree style

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  Dilhorn House, Perth(1897). Designed by Joseph John Talbot Hobbs.
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  A row of Federation Queen Anne-Filigree grand-terraces, Perth (c.1897).
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  Masonic Hall, Yangan (c. 1898)
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  Elvo, Woollahra, (c.1900). A Queen Anne style house with strong Federation Filigree elements.
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  George Hotel, Ballarat. Built 1902.
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  Wolverton, Townsville. Built c. 1903.
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  Fulham Terrace, Croydon (1904)
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  Castle Hotel, York (c. 1905).
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  Eastbourne House and terraces, East Melbourne (1906), a private hospital with attached terrace pair, likely designed by Robert Haddon.
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  Werona, Launceston (1908).
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  Police Station, Charters Towers (1910). Architect, Thomas Pye.
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  Shamrock Hotel, Rochester (c.1912)
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  Thorby Buildings, Leichhardt (1912)
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  Kameruka, Ipswich (1917). Federation Filigree-style Queenslander with double access stairs.
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  Criterion Hotel, Warwick; built 1917.

Bibliography

• Apperly, Richard; Irving, Robert; Reynolds, Peter A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture: Styles and Terms from 1788 to the Present, 1989, Angus & Robertson. ISBN 0-207-18562-X
• Howells, Trevor; Morris, Colleen The Terrace Houses in Australia, 1999, Lansdowne Publishing Pty Ltd, ISBN 1-86302-649-5
• Turner, Brian Australia's Iron Lace, 1985, George Allen & Unwin Australia Pty Ltd, ISBN 0-86861-481-5
• Turner, Brian The Australian Terrace House, 1995, Angus & Robertson, ISBN 0-207-18663-4
• Robertson, E. Graeme Sydney Lace, 1962, Georgian House, Melbourne
• Robertson, E. Graeme Adelaide Lace, 1973, Rigby Limited
• Robertson, E. Graeme; Robertson, Joan Decorative Cast Iron In Australia, 1884, Currey O'Neil Ross Pty Ltd, ISBN 0-670-90253-5