If prosperity is measured by the number of construction cranes hanging over downtown structures, then Sydney is very prosperous, indeed. Huge cranes are perched on top of twenty story office and apartment towers, old houses are being torn down in the city center and contemporary beach houses are replacing older single-story homes near the water.
A few older buildings remain in the city center, though we found evidence of the ones being torn down, a very archaeological view. Extensive excavation of an early neighborhood of Sydney is preserved at the “Big Dig” site in The Rocks.
Elaborately trimmed Victorian structures from bus shelters to houses can be still be found in the neighborhoods beyond the city center. Cast-iron balcony and porch railings on older buildings in Sydney remind me of New Orleans.
The stately Queen Victoria Building covers a large shopping precinct. Older buildings nearby display glazed terracotta tiles. The Queen Victoria Building and the Sydney Central train station both have complex stained glass windows. Here are some of the quirky elements I noticed.
I like the Australian emblem with a kangaroo and emu holding a central shield. Don’t ask me why there is a castle atop the clock in the Queen Victoria Building.
There are even some Art Deco buildings that have managed to avoid the wrecking ball. We didn’t see any private homes, but hotels and industrial buildings with characteristic deco features.
Contemporary architecture is tall, and colorful or dramatic, if not as graceful as older structures.
There is a lot to look at while walking anywhere in Sydney.
Contemporary architecture is tall, and often colorful, if not as graceful as the older
structures.
The newest structures are the least interesting, very tall towers of glass. There is a lot to look at while walking anywhere in Sydney.
Llywindatravels 2022 