Melbourne Open House goes virtual amid COVID-19
Stickybeaks from near and far will be able to go behind the scenes of some of Melbourne’s most famous buildings this month — all from the comfort of their living rooms.
Open House Melbourne has gone digital this year, due to the impact of COVID-19, which organisers say will allow it to reach a bigger audience than ever before.
More than 50 Melbourne buildings will be open for virtual tours from July 16 to the end of August, among them Carlton’s recently restored Trades Hall, Victoria’s historic Parliament House, the new-look Collingwood Yards, and the bustling CityLink Traffic Control Room.
About 14 private residences that are not usually accessible in OHM’s physical program will also be open digitally.
The Trades Hall is of historical, social and architectural significance to Victoria. Picture: Trades Hall
The Trades Hall is also known as the “People’s Palace”. Picture: Jason Edwards
The 13th OHM festival kicked off on July 1, with the launch of a series of free design and architecture events.
Program manager Victoria Bennett said this year’s event represented “the largest collection of virtual tours in Australia”.
“For the first time, visitors will be able to skip the queues and not worry about booked-out tours to their favourite sites,” she said.
“In some cases, we will be able to bring the public into spaces they would otherwise not be able to see and experience. And you don’t have to be in Melbourne to be a part of it.”
OHM participants will get rare access to the Parliament House rooftop and view the lowering of the grand chandelier in Queens Hall. Picture: John Gollings
Victoria’s Parliament House is one of Australia’s oldest public buildings. Picture: John Gollings
Collingwood Yards — Melbourne’s newest cultural precinct, which occupies the former Collingwood Technical College — is also part of the program. Picture: Peter Clarke
Participants will notably get to peek inside the Trades Hall’s Old Council Chambers, which have not been seen by the wider public since architecture firm Lovell Chen restored them to their 1880s splendour last year.
The “People’s Palace” is considered historically, socially and architecturally significant to Victoria as the site of important events in union and working-class history (including) the successful Eight-Hour Day movement”, according to the Heritage Database.
OHM audiences can also virtually check out Kew’s Lyon Housemuseum, which is part family home, part gallery. Picture: Dianna Snape
The former Salter House in Toorak is also part of OHM. Picture: Jack Lovel
The 1924 Salter House is a rare surviving example of one of Australia’s most original architects, Water Burley Griffin. Picture: Jack Lovel
Lovell Chen practice principal Anne-Marie Treweeke says the restoration involved stripping back paint and lining paper to reveal decorated walls and ceilings, reviving furniture, and having chandeliers custom made to match original fittings.
“The interiors were very rundown,” she says.
“We only had one photograph that showed us what it originally looked like.”
OHM has grown significantly since its 2008 launch, when just eight Swanston St buildings were part of the program.
Visit openhousemelbourne.org for more information
This article from the Herald Sun originally appeared as “Open House Melbourne 2020: Virtual tours of landmark buildings”.
