Chance for a peek inside former Pink Palace brothel

Ever wanted to peek inside a brothel?

A Melbourne developer will at the end of this month turn long-serving brothel, the Pink Palace, into a photographic exhibition.

Candid but tasteful snaps of the brothel, which shut earlier this year, will be on display from October 26-28, with the developer revealing he was inspired to exhibit the images following a surprising amount of curiosity from the public.

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The exhibition by photographer Derek Swalwell, to run inside the now refitted interior of the 1970s-built bordello at 8 Palmerston Cres, South Melbourne, has been titled A Pink Past.

Crema Group and Geomax Capital received planning approval for a 30-35 residence development with a rooftop pool bar earlier this year — bringing to an end a 30-year history for the business.

Crema Group director Nicolas Crema says the exhibition has been set in motion in response to a surprising amount of curiosity about the site’s past.

The exhibition will include a variety of the rooms that formed a part of the brothel before it was stripped by the developers. Picture: Derek Swalwell.

“The building is quite a unique building structure and the reason people are curious is because it’s been there for 30 odd years and no one, except the clients and staff, really knows what it looks inside,” Crema says.

“I think locals and people who have an interest in art and photography … as well as those who follow Derek’s work, will come down and have a look.”

While some of the images do contain nudity, with boudoir portraits of former working girls still hung from the walls, the exhibition is aimed at providing the curious with a chance to take a peek inside — without the stigma of visiting a functioning brothel.

Once the exhibition finishes they will relegate the brothel to the past and move on to the addresses future, Crema says.

“This area is undergoing substantial change, buildings are being converted to residential and there’s Anzac station going in, and our new building will become a part of this new precinct,” he says.

The interior of the former Pink Palace brothel lived up to its name. Picture: Derek Swalwell.

The development will also feature a commercial aspect, Crema adds.

The photographer Swalwell says he’s been surprised by what he’s found heading into the seedy depths a day after the brothel shut up shop.

“What struck me most was the pragmatic nature of the interiors and their decoration,” he says.

“On the other hand, the gold taps, sparkly jacuzzis and faux Italianate interior detailing was exactly what I imagined.”

Entry will be free.

This article from the Herald Sun originally appeared as “Developer to host photographic exhibition at former Pink Palace brothel”.