QVB Queen Victoria Building Sydney

QVB Queen Victoria Building Sydney

I still remember my first day in Australia in Sydney. It was more than 10 years ago as I reached Sydney with Rachel for our university. It was the winter and we loved it. The first food we had was the Vietnamese food and one of the first landmarks we went was the QVB or Queen Victoria Building.

Let’s read some of the history of this magnificent building I found from Wikipedia.org

The site of the Queen Victoria Building was previously the location for municipal markets (designated by Governor Macquarie in 1810),and was selected for the construction of “a marvellous centre of trade”. The building, designed by George McRae, was constructed between 1893 and 1898, and was named the Queen Victoria Building to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

QVB on the outside.

The completed building included coffee shops, showrooms and a concert hall.It provided a business environment for tradesmen such as tailors, mercers, hairdressers, and florists.

Beautiful architecture of QVB.

Between 1934 and 1938 the areas of the building occupied by the Sydney County Council were remodelled in an Art Deco style.

The old elevator of QVB.

The building steadily deteriorated and in 1959 was threatened with demolition.It was restored between 1984 and 1986 by Ipoh Ltd at a cost of $86 million, under the terms of a 99-year lease from the City Council and now contains mostly upmarket boutiques and “brand-name” shops.

Interior of QVB.

Ipoh performed a $48 million refurbishment between 2008 and 2009. The changes include new shopfronts, glass signage, glazed balustrades, new escalators connecting ground, first and second levels and new colour schemes. – Wikipedia.org

Yes, it is owned by Ipoh Limited, a Malaysian company who rescued the building in the 1980s. It has prosperous under their guidance and management until today.

Panoramic view of QVB taken with Samsung NX-11

You can easily spend two to three hours venturing the building, shopping and dining. Since it is located near Chinatown and Darling Harbour, this is an ideal place to visit. You can spend some time taking pictures of its breathtaking architecture.

Lovely Christopher C Cook Clockmaker clock in QVB.

Even during my recent visit earlier this year, they were still renovating the building. I didn’t stay long as I was rushing to Chinatown. I hope to come back again in near future.

QVB Queen Victoria Building Sydney Opening Hours, Address and Contact:

Opened: July 21, 1898

Hours:

Mon-Sat              9am–6pm

Sun        11am–5pm

Address: 455 George St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Architectural style: Romanesque Revival architecture

Phone: (02) 9265 6800

Website: http://www.qvb.com.au

Wilson Ng