In the early 1980s, when the Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa submitted a design of a 20-storey massive glass cone encasing the heritage-listed Coop’s Shot Tower, the government panel was impressed. It was an architectural ingenuity, a perfect blending of the contemporary idea and antiquated style, an impeccable redeveloping plan enhancing the harmonious relationship between the modern and ancient Melbourne.
Based on the success of Melbourne Central, some might have thought
that Melbournians would have loved the idea of a subtle unification and gentle
contrast between a 19th century Renaissance Revival style hotel and a giant fashionable glass tower. After all, isn't the city of Melbourne
itself a strange combination of all things vintage and advanced? But much to
the surprise of the Indonesian Halim family (the present owner of the luxurious
Hotel Windsor), its proposal to refurbish this Duchess of Spring Street was met
with contrary reaction, and enraged numerous heritage advocacy organizations
including the National Trust and the Melbourne Heritage Action.
Campaign was launched
to “save the Windsor”. Various sectors were aghast by the potential horrendous
disfigurement of the fabric of East Melbourne, where the elegant Parliament of
Victoria and the lavish Hotel Windsor now stand face-to-face in their glorious
pride.
The Hotel Windsor is a
rare surviving symbol of Victorian stylishness in the 1880s. Built in the era
when the city was enjoying its economic peak during the gold rush, the hotel
prides itself as one of the world’s oldest grand hotels, pre-dating the world-renowned
Savoy in London and the legendary Ritz in Paris. Exteriorly, the hotel still
maintains its extraordinary grandeur, with its twin cupola and symmetrical
façade smiling charmingly at all visitors of Melbourne.
However, it is also an
undeniable fact that the hotel is slowly sagging in age; its wrinkles are
crawling all over its interior, and its old-style facilities are sighing in
exhaustion. The lack of an on-site car park, an opulent swimming pool and other
essential elements of an international high-ends hotel means the Hotel Windsor will
soon be overridden by its fierce rivals.
The proposal for
refurbishment at a cost of $330 million involved years of roller-coaster ride and
a cumulative of dramatic events: an initial approval by Heritage Victoria and
government, delay in operations due to financial crisis, strong oppositions
from various heritage protection groups, a sensational news leak of a sham
community consultation process to reject the plans, a subsequent approval of
refurbishment plan, a court case in the Supreme Court, several approvals and
rejections of extension of permit applications, and the most recent order from the tribunal granting a four-year permit extension to the owner.
At the present stage,
it appears that Halim Group has gained its ultimate victory, and the proposed
development of a slim wall tower backdrop for the 19th century grand
hotel would be an inevitable occurrence. The heritage advocates remain upset
and unimpressed, calling for the “superficial” restoration to be abandoned to
save the beautiful landscape of Melbourne.
So, will the Melbourne
skyline and the heritage-listed hotel be awfully destroyed eventually by a
shimmery glass tower of 93-metre tall? I will let you be the judge.
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| Image taken from Melbourne Heritage Action website: https://melbourneheritage.org.au/2016/03/16/windsor-hotel-tower-to-go-ahead-after-vcat-ruling/ |
Location:
111
Spring St, Melbourne VIC 3000
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