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Federal Coffee Palace
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Federal Coffee Palace
The Federal Coffee Palace was a large, elaborate French Second Empire-style 560-room temperance hotel in the city centre of Melbourne, built between 1886 and 1888 at the height of the city's land boom, and demolished c. 1972–73. Located on the corner of Collins and King streets, near Spencer Street station (the address is now 555 Collins Street), it is prominent in lists of the buildings Melburnians most regret having lost.
The Federal Coffee Palace was by far the largest and grandest product of the late 19th century temperance movement in the Southern Hemisphere. The Age wrote that the £150,000 hotel was one of "Australia's most splendid" buildings; in fact, it was "one of the largest and most opulent hotels in the world".
With seven main floors and two more in the corner tower, it was the most massive of the rash of large tall buildings built in the central city in the 1880s boom. The height to the top of the corner dome was 165 ft (50 m), its height to roof of 48m exceeded the 43m Fink's Building completed the previous year making it briefly Melbourne and Australia's tallest building until completion of the Australian Building in mid 1890, which measured 53m to the top of its corner spire.
In June 1885, the local businessmen and politicians James Mirams and James Munro established the Federal Coffee Palace Company, and announced their intention to issue £100,000 of shares to buy the plot on the corner of Collins and King streets, and build a seven-storey temperance hotel to the design of Tappin Gilbert and Dennehy, that would be 'the finest in the city'.
In November 1885, perhaps not satisfied with that design, the Company held a competition, with 13 entries; the first prize was awarded to Ellerker & Kilburn, and the second to William Pitt; and they then worked together to design 'the massive edifice', marrying the exterior of Ellerker & Kilburn with Pitt's grandly planned interior. It was designed in an eclectic style, with an array of Renaissance Revival details and French Second Empire style mansard roofs
The builders were T. Cockram and W. Comely. Construction began in early 1886, and it opened in July 1888, in time for Melbourne's Centennial Exhibition, which opened at the Exhibition Buildings on 1 August.
The building had 560 rooms. It also featured impressively appointed dining and entertaining rooms; the first two floors included billiards, dining, lounging, reading, and smoking rooms. The hotel had 370 guest bedrooms, with a penthouse suite in the tower at the top of the building. The construction took five million bricks and cost £110,000. The building was serviced by a passenger lift, one of Melbourne's earliest which was popular with visitors.
The Age wrote that the £150,000 hotel was one of "Australia's most splendid" buildings; in fact, it was "one of the largest and most opulent hotels in the world".
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Federal Coffee Palace
The Federal Coffee Palace was a large, elaborate French Second Empire-style 560-room temperance hotel in the city centre of Melbourne, built between 1886 and 1888 at the height of the city's land boom, and demolished c. 1972–73. Located on the corner of Collins and King streets, near Spencer Street station (the address is now 555 Collins Street), it is prominent in lists of the buildings Melburnians most regret having lost.
The Federal Coffee Palace was by far the largest and grandest product of the late 19th century temperance movement in the Southern Hemisphere. The Age wrote that the £150,000 hotel was one of "Australia's most splendid" buildings; in fact, it was "one of the largest and most opulent hotels in the world".
With seven main floors and two more in the corner tower, it was the most massive of the rash of large tall buildings built in the central city in the 1880s boom. The height to the top of the corner dome was 165 ft (50 m), its height to roof of 48m exceeded the 43m Fink's Building completed the previous year making it briefly Melbourne and Australia's tallest building until completion of the Australian Building in mid 1890, which measured 53m to the top of its corner spire.
In June 1885, the local businessmen and politicians James Mirams and James Munro established the Federal Coffee Palace Company, and announced their intention to issue £100,000 of shares to buy the plot on the corner of Collins and King streets, and build a seven-storey temperance hotel to the design of Tappin Gilbert and Dennehy, that would be 'the finest in the city'.
In November 1885, perhaps not satisfied with that design, the Company held a competition, with 13 entries; the first prize was awarded to Ellerker & Kilburn, and the second to William Pitt; and they then worked together to design 'the massive edifice', marrying the exterior of Ellerker & Kilburn with Pitt's grandly planned interior. It was designed in an eclectic style, with an array of Renaissance Revival details and French Second Empire style mansard roofs
The builders were T. Cockram and W. Comely. Construction began in early 1886, and it opened in July 1888, in time for Melbourne's Centennial Exhibition, which opened at the Exhibition Buildings on 1 August.
The building had 560 rooms. It also featured impressively appointed dining and entertaining rooms; the first two floors included billiards, dining, lounging, reading, and smoking rooms. The hotel had 370 guest bedrooms, with a penthouse suite in the tower at the top of the building. The construction took five million bricks and cost £110,000. The building was serviced by a passenger lift, one of Melbourne's earliest which was popular with visitors.
The Age wrote that the £150,000 hotel was one of "Australia's most splendid" buildings; in fact, it was "one of the largest and most opulent hotels in the world".
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