World’s FairsFound, not built?
Old WorldQueen Victoria Building
Queen Victoria Building
Queen Victoria Building: Trams on George Street in front of the QVB (2687730703)
Queen Victoria Building: (1)QVB-14

Photo: Photographic Collection from Australia · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Market hall · Sydney, Australia

Queen Victoria Building

On the globe
Dated
Dated 1893–98
Declared purpose
Market building
Today
Survives, shopping centre
Build time
About 5 years (1893–98)
Region
Australia/NZ
Architect of record
George McRae, architect: about 35 when credited (1893, born 1858). Build time on record: about 5 years (1893–98).All architects of record →
On the list as
Documented

Hidden history

Found, Not Built

A Romanesque market hall 190 m long with a central dome, nearly demolished in the 1950s.

  1. Nearly lost

    It was slated for demolition in the 1950s and restored in the 1980s.

  2. 190 metres of arcade

    A Romanesque arcade 190 m long, with a central dome over glass roofs.

  3. A market as a palace

    It was built as a market hall, then used as offices and a library.

  4. Architect of record

    George McRae (born 1858) was about 35 when credited with the design in 1893. The Architects of Record page asks how often a young or little-known name delivers a landmark.

Questions worth asking

  • Why build a palace for a market?

Possible original uses

  • Market hall

What the photos show

Sources

Further viewing

Episodes from My Lunch Break (Michael Kruse), the main lens for this app. They open on YouTube.

Compare with

City hallPhiladelphia City HallPhiladelphia · USADated 1871–1901 · Survives, still the city hallCity hallMilwaukee City HallMilwaukee · USADated 1893–95 · SurvivesCity hallBuffalo City HallBuffalo · USADated 1929–31 · SurvivesCity hallSan Francisco City HallSan Francisco · USADated 1913–15 · Survives