Sydney Art Deco Heritage

Luna Park at 1 Olympic Drive in Milson's Point is one of Sydney Harbour's major landmarks and is a rare surviving example of an amusement park and fantasy architecture in the Art Deco idiom of the 1930s. The towers, more than any other feature of the park, epitomised the then fashionable Art Deco style of architecture, emphasised by the innovative and exciting lighting effects. The first entrance to Luna Park was constructed by Stuart Bros in 1935 to a design by Rupert Browne, based on his entrance to Melbourne's Luna Park at St Kilda. The original entrance and famous face were remodelled in 1939, 1947, 1953, 1960 and again in 1973. The twin towers have scalloped spires obviously influenced by the design of the Chrysler Building in New York, a masterpiece of Art Deco and the tallest building in the world when it was erected in 1930. Entrance tower detail Sources: Sydney Heritage Listings

The ANZAC War Memorial in Sydney's Hyde Park South is aesthetically significant as the finest work of architect C. Bruce Dellit and is one of the finest examples of interwar Stripped Classical and Art Deco styles in Australia. It is also an examplar of the work of the most renowned Australian sculptor of the time, Rayner Hoff. It was built by Kell & Rigby builders in 1933-1934. The stepped ziggaurat design on the roof is a signature of Dellit's work. This design is reflected in the ceiling of the chapel in Kinselas Hotel just up the road on Taylor square. Facade detail Sources: Sydney Heritage Listings

Listed in the RAIA Register of Significant 20th Century Buildings the Harbour Bridge at Milson's Point in Sydney was finished in 1932 and was designed by JJ Bradfield and Sir Ralph Freeman. The design of the impressive 89 metre high ziggaurat pylons, which are primarily decorative, was undertaken by the consulting architects, Sir John Burnet and Partners of London. Thomas Tait, the architect who carried out the work, produced a stripped classical treatment with strong Art Deco components. They are made of concrete, faced with granite, quarried near Moruya, where about 250 Australian, Scottish and Italian stonemasons and their families lived in a temporary settlement. Three ships were specifically built to carry the 18,000 cubic metres of cut, dressed and numbered granite blocks, 300km north to Sydney. Sources: Sydney Heritage Listings

The Dental Hospital at 2-28 Chalmers St, Surry Hills, is one of the best examples of the interwar Functionalist style in Sydney CBD with strip windows in surrounds and strong horizontal lines demonstrating key characteristics of the style. With an illuminated tower of glass and long bands of windows that emphasised its striking wedge shape, the Dental Hospital of Sydney drew international attention for its world-class design and oral hygiene services. The original Dental Hospital on this site was built in 1910. By the early 1930s the building could no longer cope with the demands of the public and the requirements of the advancing dental profession. The new building, completed in 1940, one of the first to be partially paid for by a grant from the State Lottery, secured Sydney's place as a world leader in dental hygiene services. The new Dental Hospital was designed by distinguished architecture firm Stephenson & Turner (formerly Stephenson & Meldrum) that served the du...

The first Petersham Town Hall was built on this site at 105 Crystal Street in Petersham in 1882. In 1937 a plan for a new town hall, prepared by architects Rudder & Grout, was accepted and the old hall demolished. The new building was opened in July, 1938. Much of the interior has been retained and the hall itself has some nice detailing. The building is listed in the RAIA Register of significant 20th century buildings. The hall had a brush with fame when some of the flamboyant dancing scenes from director Baz Lurhmann's 1992 film "Strictly Ballroom" were filmed in its main auditorium. The Clock Tower detail The imposing Art Deco interpretation of a classic Greek temple entrance The auditorium above left and detail of the ceiling lights Sources: Sydney Heritage Listing Marrickville Council website

A Rockdale landmark, the Rockdale Town Hall at 448 Princes Highway was designed by Douglas Babbington Gardiner and built in 1940 to replace the original hall (designed by William Kenwood) on the site. This was all part of a general road widening scheme for the Princes Highway at the time. The building has simplified Art Deco details on the exterior which are similar to the Petersham Town Hall. The interior of the hall has elaborate art deco plaster details on the walls and ceiling. The building is associated with public events such as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. It is listed in the RAIA 20th Century Register Of Significant Buildings. Clock tower detail View of the auditorium Auditorium ceiling light Sources: NSW Heritage Database