City of Yarra

Heritage Advice Note

Application No.: PL 70/0297
Planner: Tarquin Leaver Date Received; Date referred: Address of Property: L22-733 Swan st, Richmond

Referral required:
HO No.

335

Precinct:

Swan St, Richmond

Thc Richmond Hill Precinct (Ho 332) abuts the swan

st precinct to the north. Individual Level of Significance:the following are the gradings listecl in Appendix
125 Swan Street Richmond, tlre abutting site to the west, is not included.

of Yarra Review of Heritage averlay Areas 2007.

S, City

127 Swan Street Richmond, a shop & residence, constructed 1900-1915?, is listed as being "Not contributory?" - sec below.

129 swan street Richmond, part of the ANZ Bank and formerly a slrop and residence, constructed lB80-190, is listed as having an Unknown grading.
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133 swan street Richnrond ANZ Bank, constructed 1960-1970 is listed as being "Not buto ry"
.

65 clrfton
" Co

st., "clifton House", abutting to the north, constructed 190/, is listed as being

ntri buto ry ".

The citation in the Butler Review reads, inter alia.

The Swan Street lleritaqe Overlay Area, Richnrond is significant:

As one of the two major early commercial thoroughfares rn the former

City of Rrchmond, with a qood collection of well,pIC5eIyC!-I!r!ly Victorian arrd Edwardian c*o_Inmercral_buildinqs-, corltatninq a rnixture of shops, hotels and other commercial buildtngs, q1A_Oy,af rryllrqlr d_r! sLrbstantlallv tntact at first floor level, with a nurnber of hrstorlc shopfronts at ground floor, including those datrng from the inler!var period;

tire landmark or rndr-v-t-dqdly-IlSryigarf!-bf!.1_dr1g5 irom aii eras includrng early hotels, from the gold rush era, and famous reiail stores such as Maples, Dimmey's and Ball and Cornpany, nrany with archltecturally signif icant u pper facades; a nd
For As a good rllustratiott of comrnercral archrtectrtral slyles ln the Crt,y,

frorl

the late 1850s to the inter-vrar t)eriod. IEnrphasrs added]

1t also identifies faEade parapets and two storey wall herghts as contributing to the significance of the precinct.

Included in the "landmark and individually significant buildings" as treing part of the rationale for the significance of the precrnct, are Maples (nos. 122-7?4 Swan St Individually significant), Dimmey's tower (150 swan st - Individually significant), the National Bank of Australasia (No. 105 Swan St - Individually significant) and part of tire ANZ

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Reterral requrredl
HO No.

335

Precinct:

Swan St, Richmond

The Richmond Hill Precinct (HO 332) abuts the Swan St precinct to the north.

Individual Level of Significance: the following are the gradings listed in Appendix
of Yarra Review of Heritage Overlay Areas 2007."
l-25 Swan Street Richmond, the abutting site to the west, is not included.

B, City

127 Swan Street Richmond, a shop & residence, constructed 1900-1915?, is listed as being "Not contrlbutory?" - see below. 129 Swan Street Richmond, part of the ANZ Bank and formerly a shop and residence, constructed 1880-190, is listed as having an Unknown grading. 133 Swan Street Richmond ANZ Bank, constructed 1960-1970 is listed as beinq "Not contributory". 66 CIifton St., "Clifton House", abutting to the north, constructed 1907, is listed as being "Contributory".
The citation in the Butler Review reads, inter alia:
The Swan Street Heritage Overlay Area, Richn'lond is significant:
As one of the two major early comnrercial thoroughfares in the former City of Richmond, with a cood collection of well-preserved. mainly

Victorian and Edwardian commercial buildinqs, containing a mixture of shops, hotels and other commercial buildings, manv of which are substantiallv intact at first floor level. with a number of histonc shopfronts at ground floor, including those dating from the interwar
Pertod;

For the landmark or individuallv significant buildinqs from all eras

including early hotels, from the gold rush era, and famous retaii stores such as Maples, Dimmey's and Ball and Company, many with architecturally significant upper facades; and

As a good illustration of commercial architectural styles in the City, fiom the late 1850s to the inter-war period. [Emphasis added]

It also identifies fagade parapets and two storey wall heights

significance of the precinct.

as contributing to the

Included in the "landmark and individually significant buildings" as being part of the rationale for the significance of the preclnct, are Maples (nos. 122-124 Swan St Individually significant), Dimmey's tower (150 Swan St - Individually significant), the National Bank of Austraiasia (No. 105 Swan St - Individually significant) and part of the ANZ

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Bank site (No. 127 Swan St), part of the subject site. These are the only elements in this part of Swan St which are higher than two storeys.
None of the accompanying reports, listed below, makes reference to the Statement of Significance, instead they refer to a variety of other aspects to;ustify considerable noncompliance and as a result demonstrate a lack of understanding of what this precinct is about and why it is siqnificant.

Drawing nos. Including Revisions:

Peter Sgourakis, Cover page, TP
aspects is quite unclear,
-01"

14. 15 A - B, 16-21, Rev. B, dated 26-01-2011.

These drawings are poorly labelled and lack detail and as a consequence the intent of certain

JBA (John Briggs) Heritage comment (3 pp.)

This report indicates that the first floor fagade of the westernmost shop is to be restored. It also notes that"The proposed development runs contrary to the general clauses regarding building height in relation to adjoining "faEades" and offers no solid policy or heritage support for this deviation or the proposal. Letter from Melbourne Planning Pty Ltd (How S Ng) to Mary Osman, dated 23 April,
2010.

I note this letter states "All the buildings on site have no heritage or Victorian flavour at all.
In fact the commercial strip on the north side of Swan Street between Dando and Clifton Street are Isic.] an anomaly in the heritage street". This is clearly not the case - even the report from John Briggs states "The western bay of this building Ii.e. the original Victorian bank] continues to survive ... The proposal involves the restoration of this Victorian fagade that currently makes no contribution to the herltage character of the streetscape". (p.1)
The Sustification for the height of the proposed building in the letter is of interest but ts

unsustainable. Letter from Melbourne Planning Pty Ltd (How S Ng) to Sheridan Cleaves, dated 21

February,2011.
Thls letter is quite unhelpful. Two photocopies of the bank building as it originally appeared and as designed c. 1960s.

Permit History:
The approach

to 107-109 Swan St. by the same team is relevant.

What is Being Applied For

Demolition of the existing shopfronts and street awning at the ground floor but retention of
some external (Clifton St. elevation) and internal masonry elements, internal demolition and

construction of a new 6level building with residential accommodation above ground floor
shops.

Relevant Policies: Cl. 22.02, 43.O1.

C\.22.02 Development Guidelines For Sites Subject To The Heritage Overlay (Amendment
CB5), 43.01 Heritage Overlay.

Context Description:
The site is on the north-west corner of Swan and Clifton Streets. It abuts one heritage precinct and is within another. The Swan St, precinct has a consistency of scale(two storeys), buildings from similar eras, with generally stylistically similar detailing and with some larger buildings which are individually significant, including on the subject site.
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Demolition: at face value the existing modern section to the east appears to have little architectural significance but the name of any architect has not been supplied, despite provision of a copy of a design for ANZ Bank New Richmond Premises, which has not been sourced. Before demolition of any parts having this design is permitted, some brief history should be supplied which would include the name of the architect, whether it received any award, and any architectural critique in a journal or newspaper etc.
The existing double storey section to the west (Shop 2) appears to be the remnant of the Victorian-style Union Bank of Australasia Limited, a photo of which has been supplied, again unsourced. Metal sheet cladding obscures the fagade but details of the side elevation, chimneys etc. indicate that this is a Victorian building. The faEade should be revealed before any approval for any works is made. In addition a short report similar to the above should be provided as its grading may need to be revised. is quite unclear from the drawings if the first floor fagade of this section is proposed to be new or if it is the faEade of the existing which will be restored (see Briggs). If the latter, then a detailed scope of works is required.

It

Sub;ect to the above, there is no issue with demolition of the existing shopfronts. There is no rssue with the demolition of the existlng awnings to Swan St.

Design Response:
The elevations are so schematic that it is impossible to gain any realistic idea of the

intended appearance of this building.

The fagade to Swan St. will be dominated by a large screen with punched openings at Levels 2-3, behind which will be balconies and glazed faqades. The rhythm, proportions and orientation oF these openings has no relationship with the fenestration patterns on the heritage buildings at the upper levels and will appear out-of-keeping. The screen returns around the Clifton St. elevation where it is less dominant but nevertheless is intrusive and unrelated to anything in the street. Clifton St. is a residential street and No. 66 abutting is a "Contributory" Victorian dwelling. The fagade above has a different treatment at each level with quite different fenestration, still all unrelated as is the copper clad top level. A similar approach is taken along Clifton St. where the design is dominated by a rendered tower element, with anodized alumrnrum louvres, containing the lift and stair. Again this element has no relationship with anything.

Further, the interface between the subject building ancl No. 66 Clifton St. is abrupt, despite the setbacks. Overall the faqade treatment is horizontal, or of large scale, which is at odds with the fine grain of the narrow verticaily-oriented fagades of buildings in Swan St., which are symmetrically punctuated by vertically-oriented rectangular windows and otherwise symmetrically embellished. There is a cbnsistency of height and scale which is not reflected in the proposal.
The butlding wili be a much higher and dominant element in the streetscape along Swan St. and at the lower (south) end of Clifton St. which rises up and away from the site and as a consequence will result in greater visibility of the new development. In some views it will block any view of the Dimmey's clock tower - views of it are not confined solely to Swan St. The various views of Dimmey's from various vantage points on Richmond Hill are all valuable elements in the heritage and urban landscape.

There are no balconies in the commercial part of Swan St. Here they ar:e proposed behind a large rendered screen. Balustrades appear to be glazed behind the screen which will contain punched openings. The large one has no relationship with anything in this part of Swan St. and certainly not any upper level fenestration on heritage buildings. Similarly

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the group of four openings has no relationship either and as a consequence they will be bold rather than resPectful. The design is a poor response to this important corner site in an important commercial ancl heritage precinct. The proposed building will dominate this part of the precinct and the streetscape, will block some views to Dimmeys and wjll compete with the significant buildings which are already the largest/tallest buildings in the precinct.
The letters from Melbourne Planning Pty Ltd highlight the shortcoming of this proposal which also run through to the external design - overall the proposal is ill-conceived.

Built form (height, setbacks, roof deck etc.): The proposed height is in excess of 18.97 metres (dimensioned) - i'e. approximately 1 metre higher. This faEade height is considerably greater than typical fagade heights in this
part of Swan St. and also Clifton St., including the remnant of the Union Bank and the abutting dwelling in clifton st. It will be dominant and out-of-keeping with the characteristics of the streetscape.

Level 1 (Ground floor) and shopfronts will abut the property line on both street boundaries. The shopfronts proposed for Shops 2-4 have no stallboards or plinths. As these are typical in Swan St. the inclusion of a similar elements is recommended'
Level 2 (First floor) will be set back 1.7 metres and 1.8 metres from the faqade along Swan St. There will be no set back along Clifton St. other than at the rear where it will be 920 mm. The set back at Level 3 (Second floor) is similar at the north end and at the south end the balcony is set back 2.02 metres from the property line. At Level 4 (Third floor) the fagade is set back 3.72 metres along Swan St. and into this setback the

balconies project with the balustrades being set back 1.8 metres from the faqade. The setbacks along Clifton St. are the same as Level 2 up to Level 4. At Level 5 (Fourth floor), at the east end, the set back along Swan St. to the fagade is 3.52 metres and 3.720 metres (to the balustrade at the west end) and 5.32 metres to the fagade at the west end. There is also a side setback of 1.7 metres at the west end and a set back of 1.2 metres for a balcony along Clifton St. The setbacks increase at level 6 (Fifth floor) along both frontages. The set backs of themselves are not necessarily an issue.

Colours, materials: the colours, where indicated, and materials are not necessarily
sample board.

unacceptable but I would query the appropriateness of the copper finish cladding and the type of metal substrate in this precinct. More detail is required such as by way of a

Verandah and fence: not aPPlicable, Crossover: Garage/car port: vehicular access is proposed at the rear from Clifton St. where it currently is. The crossover will be 5.14 metres wide and it is presumed to be the
existing crossover.

Conservation works: it is not clear if the fagade to Shop 2 is to be restored other than for
a brief mentioit in the Briggs

restoration. If the fagade is intact behind the metal cladding, good conservation practice would be to restore it and re-assess the building grading. Removal of later cladding has occurred on the Banco site in Smith St. and has revealed a Victorian fagade behind. I would have expected some exploratory work to have occurred on the subject site. A detailed scope of conservation or other works should be supplied. I note that at 107-109
Swan St. the fagade has been demolished, as per a report by John Briggs, and is proposed to be reinstated. No work appears to be underway on that site. Such an approach to the faEade on this site should not be contemplated.

report. Nothing is shown on the drawings which would indicate

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Assessment Against PolicY

Other than for perhaps No. 129 Swan St., all of the buildings are not graded presently. No. 129 should be re-assessed when the fagade cladding is removed and this should be prior to any granting of a permit. Demolition of Individually significant and Contributory buildlngs is discouraged.

It is not clear if the fabric to No. 129 Swan St. will be conserved, otherwise the proposal does nothing to maintain the integrity of places of cultural heritage significance, i.e. the precinct. The nelv works proposed display little respect for the significance of the heritage place i.e. the precinct.
The design of the new development does not respect, or even pay attention to, tlre pattern, rhythm, orientation to the street, spatial characteristics. fenestration,... materials

and heritage character of the surrounding historic streetscape. It is not articuiated and massed to correspond with the prevailing building form of the heritage place or contributory elements to the heritage place * in fact its degree of non-compliance is acknowledged and justified by the applicant. It will not be visually recessive and it will dorninate the heritage place and it has not considered the architectural integrity and context of the heritage place or contributory element.

It wiil obscure some views of principle faqades (Dimmeys tower)^

]-he faqade height is not similar to the adjoining contributory elements in Clifton Street. Where there are differing faEade heights, the design should adopt the lesser height. The fagade, including the higher rear elements which present as part of the faEade, i.e. they are highly visible, are minimally set back and are not obscured, is also considerably higher than the fagade of No. 129 Swan 5t.

While the higher elements are set back they are insufficiently set back so as to minimize their visibility, and are poorly designed. As a result they are not respectful of the scale and form of the existing heritage place or contributory elements to the heritage place. The location, bulk, form and appearance of the proposed building will adversely affect the signiFicance of the heritage place and will not be in keeping with the character and appearance of adjacent buildings and the heritage place - it will set a precedent, which has not been impacted on even by the Dimmeys development" It will not result in orderly planning nor will it respond positively to its context. Further, the standard of architecture and urban design will not make a positive contribution to the streetscape nor will it "create a lvorthy legacy for future generations". (Cl. 15.11-1) It does not respond to rts context and does not reinforce the special characteristics ofthe local environment and place by emphasizing the heritage values and built form that reflect community identity and the values, needs and aspirations of the community. (Cl. 15.11-1)

Not Approved Recommendations/Comments:

P,e-design the proposal to comply with the relevant policies - this would include reducing the height considerably and redesigning the facades to respect the heritage streetscapes. Re-assess No. 129 Swan St. when the fa6ade cladding is removed prior to any granting of

a permit.
Ivlore details about the remainder of the ANZ as set out above should also be supplied.

Include stallboards in any new shopfronts. Supply a sample board of colours and materials.

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Signed: Robyn Riddett

Director

- Anthemion

Consultancies

Date: 23 May 2011.

Figure

The former Union Bank extended all the way to Clifton St.

The subject site from Swan

St.

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Figure 2

Note the side elevation and part of the parapet of the former Union Bank at No. 729 Swan St. In all likelihood its fagade remains behind the metal cladding..

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Figure 3

The subject site from Clifton 5t. Note the chimneys are still intact on No. 129 Swan St. The new building will block the view of Dimmeys from various parts of Clifton St. and will be a high and dominant element in the streetsca pes.

Figure 4

Graeme.

Figure 5

The.

Figure 6

The.

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Sheridan Cleaves Mark Pisani
31 March 2011

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TO: FROM: DATE:

SUBJECT

Application

No: Description: Site Address:

PL1010297

Mixed Use Development 125-133 Swan Street, Richmond

I refer to ihe above Town Pianning application received on 24 March 2011 and the accompanying * report prepared by C.S. Traffic Surveys for the proposed development at 125-133 Swan Street, Richmond. ln response to the application, I advise the following:

Car Parking Provision Engineering comments and observations:

'

The proposed development comprises 17 dwellings (15 one-bedroom dwellings and rwo two-bedroom dwellings), four retail tenancies, and an office. The site will have a total of four on-site car parking spaces. Twenty bicycle parking spaces wiil also be provicteci in the development. As noted by the applicant, the proposed on-site parking would be arranged in two sets of tandem parking. lt is agreed that it would be more practical to allocate tf,is parking to the office use rather than to the four individual commercial uses which would result in car shuffling. Prospective property owners and occupants of lhe new dwellings will not eligible to apply for on-street residential and visitor parking permits. Time baseJon-street prirXing restrictions operate in the immediate area and on-street parking for residents of the new dwellings is not a viable and practical option. The local road network cannot sustain any on-street residential parking from the development- Visitors could find an on-street parliing space in the vicinity of the site. ln recent times, there has been a growing trend in the emergence of multi unit residential developments that are providing a proportion of residences without any on-site parking (in this case, all 17 dwellings). When purchasrng orintending to move into a dwelling, residents/occ.upants will know up-front that the dwelling has no on-site parking. These types of dwellings would be appropriate for persons wto frequently and actively use public transport, bicycles or other forms of sustainable transport and it is also highly likely that the new dwellings would be specifically marketed towards this group. The site has the advantage of having very good exposure to public transport services, essential facilities, supermarkets, shops, conveniences etc. Tram services along Swan Street and rail services from nearby Richmond railway station provide easy access to Melbourne and the metropolitan area.
For the retail tenancies and offices, prospective employees would be well aware of the limitations to park on-street and would be inclined to make other travel arrangements, such as take public transport. The high pedestrian volumes and visitor numbers to the Swan Street activity centre would constitute a sizeable proportion of customers.
2 (12s-133 Swan St).docx

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R:\CITY-INFRASTRUCTURE\Engineeringservices\EngineeringPlanning\TownPlanReferrals\270

inage - Legal Point of Discharge applicant must apply for a Legal Point of Discharge under Regulation 610 - Stormwater ainage of the Building Regulations 2006'from Councills Building Services unit.
Any storm water drainage within the property must b,e provided and be connected to the nearest Council pit of adequate depth and capacity (legal point of discharge), to Council's satisfaction under Section 200 of the Local Government Act 1989 and Regulation 610. Areas must be provided inside the property line and adjacent to the footpath to accommodate pits and meters. No private pits, valves or meters on Council property wilt be accepted.

Regards

rN\
Mark Pisani Senior Development Engineer Engineering Services Unit

R:\CITY-INFRASTRUCTURE\EngineeringServices\EngineeringPlanning\TownPlanReferrals\2702 (125-.133 Swan St).docx

d& f ii HIiA
TO: FROM:

Tarquin Leaver Jun WanglRicha Swarup

5 May 2011
PL1010297

DATE: APPLICATION NO SUBJECT:

DF-SCRIPTION:

Urban Design Referral for 125-133 Swan Street, Richmond construction of a six storey mixed use development comprising of shops and dwellings and a reduction in the car parking and loading bay requirements

Comments Summary
The proposal requires following inrprovements: . Reduction in heighi of the building o Revision in the fenestration of front fagade for a mare consisient outcome with the

streetscaPe.

Simplification of materials and colours used.

Fig.

1 Bircl's eye view of fhe sublect

site within the immediate urban context

The south elevation, drawing TP18 also indicates that there is a significant increase in height at the western intedace.

Looking at the existing buildings and considering the future development potential of this pocket where the subject site is located, it is felt that a four storey building at the site will be more appropriate where the top level is setback from the street and also provides appropriate interface to the dwellings on the north. lf a fifth storey was to be considered substantial set backs from the street will be required to avoid any height impacts at the street
level.

Fagade Design and Streetscape Fit

The applicant has tried to retain the existing rhythm of the streetscape by retaining the scale and basic frame of the existing building along the two streets. Such considerations to complement the existing streetscape in terms of height and proportions of the key elements are appreciated.
However, the overall faqade design doesn't seem to be unified in terms of its articulation. lt is observed that, according to the design, the front fagade (see drawing South Elevation * TPl B) is broken into small sections and the whole fagade turns appears fairly fragmented. The fenestrations of the front faqade can be further improved. The current proposal involves various sizes/proportions of window openings on its front fagade (particularly in levels 4-6), which need to be simplified so that they can be read as a consistent design language. A contextual response would be more desirable for the fenestration to create good references to the existing streetscape in the neighbourhood.

The long vertical element on the east elevation towards its northern side is not supported. lt is felt the emphasis on verticality will create greater contrast with the abutting dwelling at 66 Clifton Street as it would emphasise the difference in the building height even more.

The overlooking issues to the rear open space of the property to north-west need to be
avoided

Materials and Colours

The proposal includes application of too many colours and materials on the facades which make the faced appear visually busy and scattered. Use of vertical bars also seems
unnecessary as it impacts the cohesiveness of the south and east elevations.