The Queen Victoria Building was designed by architect George McRae, who submitted four distinct design styles to the Sydney City Council: Renaissance, Gothic, Romanesque Revival and Queen Anne. The council approved the grandiose Romanesque Revival design, and the building was named after the reigning monarch of the time, according to SNF Travel. Construction began in 1893, providing much-needed jobs in a period of recession for Australia.
The Queen Victoria Building did not get off to the kind of start that would have matched its design and construction. The building was completed in 1898, and filled with coffee shops, showrooms, business spaces for tradesman and a concert hall. But many tenants came and went. Soon, much of the building was converted to office space, and the concert hall became a library. Some of the more elaborate plans for the QVB were also canceled, such as a glass-roofed shopping area.
Some of the more grandiose features in the early Queen Victoria Building included the Royal Clock, a mechanical clock resembling Balmoral Castle and built by the queen's own clockmaker. As of July 2010, it is still the world's largest suspended animated turret clock, and its figurines act out one of six scenes from England's history every hour between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Other early features includes a large central dome about 60 ft. in diameter, an inner glass dome, an exterior copper dome, sweeping balustrades and arches, and mosaic tile floors.
The Queen Victoria Building was largely neglected, and deteriorated to the point that it was scheduled for demolition in the 1950's, to be replaced by a parking lot. The building was saved from condemnation and eventually leased to a Malaysian firm, Ipoh Garden Berhard, for 99 years, starting in 1982. The lease had a condition, however: in exchange for the Australian government's building a parking facility on bordering York Street, the Malaysian firm would carefully restore the building. As of July 2010, the Queen Victoria Building contains expertly restored balustrades, tile flooring and stained glass, along with modern features like escalators and air conditioning.
Features and attractions have been continually added to the Queen Victoria Building. For example, at the main entrance stands a statue of Queen Victoria constructed by the Irish sculptor John Hughes. This statue stood outside Dublin's Irish parliament building, but was given to the people of Australia in 1947. In 1987, it was placed inside the QVB. Other later features include the Australian Clock, which stands about 30 ft. high and acts out 33 scenes from Australia's history, with both Aboriginal and European perspectives.
