The Hellenic Museum will be one of the 75 Victorian unique and popular architectural treasures open to the public as part of Melbourne Open House.
Constructed more than a century ago, the regal two-storey building has gain a reputation as a notable example of Renaissance Revival in Australia. Now running in its fourth year, Melbourne Open House throws open the doors into some of Melbourne’s most iconic buildings to the public for a unique experience which allows visitors to engage with the city through its architecture.
Robert Larocca, spokesperson of Melbourne Open House said the Hellenic Museum allows people to understand how the city has changed over time. A personal favourite of Larocca’s RMIT’s Storey Hall building has been featured as an example of the merge of the old and the new, as the 19th century building has been “refitted and revamped” without taking away its most-loved features.
“It’s another part of that rich and vibrant culture and diversity that we have in the city. Melbourne Open House is about buildings, but buildings are about people and their lives,” he said. Another star of the event is the Russell Place sub-station, which Larocca says is akin to an “enormous cave underneath the city”, which has drawn long queues to its entrance for the past two events. Running underneath Russell Place, the urban “cavern” snakes about half the length of the city block and is three storeys deep. “I love the Capitol Theatre in Swanston Street. To go inside it and see the roof is absolutely amazing and it’s a style of architecture we just don’t see anymore,” he said.
The two-day event attracted 60,000 visitors last year, and with 75 sites this year this number is expected to increase. Some of the sites open during the event is not normally open to the general public, such as the Anglican Archbishop ‘s East Melbourne residence, the Bishop’s Court mansion. The annual Open House is therefore a unique opportunity to see first-hand inside some of Melbourne’s hidden gems.
“A lot of people don’t feel you can go inside them, they dont’ feel like they are invited in. It takes the act of explicitly linviting people in to give people a chance to become tourists in their own town,” he said. Larocca advises would-be visitors to plan ahead to get the most out of the free program. “Opening times and access arrangements differ so planning ahead is important.”