Dior lodges $9.9 million proposal for refurbishment in Sydney
Dior has lodged its final plans for refurbishment at prominent historic site in Sydney's CBD.
A Sydney Dior store's final plans for renovation was lodged by senior heritage architect of Curio Projects, Susanne Magers, and director of Curio Projects, Natalie Vinton, to the City of Sydney Council on January 24, 2020.
The Castlereagh Street and King Street property projected a total of $9,977,277 for its refurbishment with Curio Projects.
"The site is located in the vicinity of a number of local and state heritage listed buildings," reports Curio Projects. Consequently, Christian Dior Australia had commissioned Curio Projects to prepare its Heritage Impact Statement in support of its Development Application to the council for permission to make internal aesthetics and structural changes.
The 153 King Street block has a diverse history and has undergone many extensive changes.
Consequently, Curio Projects has expressed Dior's intentions of preserving its historic value.
In 1858, the then single-storey block was called the Carrier's Arms, which was then replaced by another hotel, named the Colonnade Hotel.
Around 1861 and by the 1870s, it was one of 13 hotels located within a 50-yard radius, making it the densest concentration of hotels in the CBD area.
In 1880, a three-storey hotel off the same name was constructed by rapidly underwent several changes.
By 1896, Surrey Hotel took over, licensed under Frank Underwood, and remained for the next 80 years.
Source: Curio Projects 2019, Heritage Impact Statement Dior Building prepared for Christian Dior Australia
The Surrey Hotel was architecturally impacted with the construction of the Culwulla Chambers.
The owners of the Surrey Hotel's refusal to sell their property for the development of the Culwulla Chambers, resulted in the unusual shape of the building.
According to a 1912 Daily Telegraph report, the owners "regretted the ugly corner".
By 1928, Tooth & Co owned the Surrey Hotel, who commissioned the architectural firm, Prevost, Synnot & Ruwald to remodel the hotel to its present façade.
Source: Curio Projects 2019, Heritage Impact Statement Dior Building prepared for Christian Dior Australia
The State Heritage Register listing for the ‘Former Surrey Hotel including interiors’ has provided a Statement of Significance since 2012. It states:
"Christian Dior, formerly the Surrey Hotel, is a four-storey building of Interwar Free Classical Style, located on a prominent corner block. The building has historic significance as an important building in the professional work of the noted architect Provost, for the lengthy tradition of hotel trade on this site since 1860's, and for its ability to reflect the development of King Street as a major city cross street. It has high aesthetic significance as a rare and outstanding example of a highly intact terracotta clad exterior with outstanding potential to continue in its restored state. It has social significance for its role as part of a network of purpose- built hotels which provided both a social and recreational venue, and budget accommodation in the city. It has high scientific significance for its early use of a terracotta clad exterior."