[APP] Masonic Lodge | 183m | 37 Levels | Mixed Use

[Howie]

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original post

In the tiser today...



Should be great! Finally that great carpark behind the masonic center's going to get some adequate use.

[Pikey]

Is this the site near the Morphett st bridge?

[JAKJ]

They need to keep the North Terrace frontage... other then that should be ok.

[Howie]

I'll probably go behind the masonic sometime in the next couple of days and take some photos for you all. It's nothing special trust me... a half used carpark and that's about it, and a derelict hall that looks way beyond it's used-by-date.

The frontage is just awesome for it's time. It's got a huge prescence overlooking city east. A nice apartment behind this building wouldn't look out of place imo.

[AtD]

I'm sitting in a computer lab across the road from this, and I've got an hour to kill, so I'll save you the trouble Howie.

I'm sceptical of this project, though. It's such a grand heritage building that the developers would have to be extra careful. There will undoubtably be an outcry over this so I don't personally give it much of a chance in council.

[AG]

There aren't exactly a large number of old buildings of much architectural merit. This building is one of a handful of buildings that should not be demolished. The best that could be done is to restore the building into the newly proposed building.

[Adelarch]

I remember there was some talk of this on SSC some time ago based on an article which appeared in the Advertiser (there might still be a newspaper scan there somewhere?). My vague recollection was that the developers were planning a 10 storey 'glass box' to sit above the grand hall at that stage. Something simple and glassy might be just the trick here rather than trying (and almost certainly failing) to marry in with the heritage architecture.

[AtD]

For those playing at home:

The construction in this photo is the North Tce streetscape upgrade














I would assume that this proposal is to demolish the back part of the bulding (box B in the Google Maps image) and retain the front part (box A). I know the front part was built in 1925, but haven't been able to find any refrence to the back part. To me it looks like it was built as an extension to the centre. A date would be interesting.

A bit of info on the Masonic Centre:
http://www.freemasonrysaust.org.au/tour.html

I guess we'll have to wait for it to be submitted to council.

[Howie]

AtD you're the man. Those shots are much much nicer than the ones i took earlier today. I won't bother posting my crappy camera phone photos.

Did you notice while you were there, what an awesome link to rundle street future tenants would have via synagogue place?

[AtD]

Howie: If there's any on-site parking in this development, it would probably be accessable by Synagogue Place rather than North Tce. IMO It'd keep the council happier.

[Howie]

Wonder if Advantis bought the tiny carpark next to the masonic building also? Reason I ask, is because that's a pretty pathetic carpark... it's about three levels, one of which is the roof and you have to double park there. It's the most under-utilized piece of real estate on north terrace.

[Adelarch]

here's the old article - barely readable sorry
the article dates from Sept 2004

[Howie]

Thanks for posting that. Wish i could read it though

Here's a picture of the Great hall.


Also if anyone wants more info they run free tours on Thursday 2pm. Maybe one of our sleuths can run on down and ask them about the rear section.

[Will]

Although it may not appear to be so, the Great Hall was built at the same time as the 'main' building.

The architects were "brothers', J. Quinton Bruce and W.H. Harral.

With this in mind, I cannot see how the council or the government would allow this magnificent building to be altered in such an extreme fashion. This is one of the most elegant and imposing building's in Adelaide, and this development would ruin the appearance of the building. There are other places the proposed tower can go.

[AtD]

Thanks to eLibrary. Hooray for being a student!

MASONIC BUILDING FACES CHANGE Development on the cards; By Real Estate Editor LOUISE TECCASI
The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia) 09-25-2004

A MAJOR apartment development is being considered for the prominent Adelaide Masonic Centre in the city.The North Tce centre is the headquarters of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of South Australia and the Northern Territory. It is understood an apartment block is planned for above the centre's Great Hall, at the rear of the property.

However, there have been no development plans lodged with Adelaide City Council.

The centre was bought by a private Queensland consortium, Advantis (Qld) Pty Ltd, for $9.2 million.

The owners could not be contacted but SA/NT Grand Lodge of Freemasons grand secretary Max Atkinson confirmed a major redevelopment was on the cards.

``My understanding is that there will be a redevelopment at the back of the building where the Great Hall is,'' he said.

``The hall will stay and the development will take place above it. At this stage the discussions centre around an apartment building.''

The hall is used for conferences and functions.

Mr Atkinson said the group had a 99-year lease for its continued occupancy at the site.

``It's a prominent site and the last grand building on the southern side of North Tce,'' Mr Atkinson said.

``It is the oldest Grand Lodge of Freemasons in Australasia.''

The property was offered for sale last year for the first time since the completion of its construction in 1927.

Selling agent Jock Berry, of Jones Lang LaSalle, said it attracted enormous interest.

He said there were even attempts to lobby the State Government to purchase the building to cement the cultural precinct of North Tce.

`It is a heritage building,'' Mr Berry said.

``The site and the building offered the most enormous potential. It has so many architectural features but because it is heritage-listed, it caused a few concerns and headaches for developers.'' The first SA lodge was formed in England in 1834 for intending settlers. The architecturally rich building was refurbished in 1984 and has on-site car parking.

It displays architectural features internally and externally based on traditional orders of Greek architecture.

A small portion of the property is leased to the South Australian College of English.