Number 37 Roslyn Street, known as “Glenelg”, is a petite apartment block in Potts Point.

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It is as part of group comprising 40A-42 Bayswater Road and 35-41 Roslyn Street which are of local historic interest. The twelve blocks of inter-war flats are centred along a thoroughfare, formerly known as Eaton Avenue. “Glenelg” faces Roslyn Street with side facade to Eaton Avenue.

“Glenelg” was designed by Dallas Walsh and built by Arthur William Coleman. It is unique within the City of Sydney according to NSW Heritage.

Despite its age, this group of buildings is unified and distinctive. In combination with the street that runs between them, they form a coherent streetscape that is enhanced by later plantings. They are also associated with a period of intensive residential flat development in the 1920s for which Potts Point is famous.

All of the buildings are constructed with brick walls, reinforced concrete stairs and floor slabs in common areas and use timber-framed floors within the apartments. Original external windows in common areas generally consist of multi-paned timber framed double-hung sashes.

The 1920s was a period of mixed architectural styles including Art Deco and some neo-classical elements.

Common to both was high ceilings, which help to give a sense of space. “Glenelg” also incorporates terrazzo entrance flooring and palm frond Grecian cornices in the hallways, both neo-classical elements.

Its tilting square-paned windows in the common areas are reminiscent of Andrea Palladio’s well-proportioned classical designs. These are of particular interest.

These are six-paned “Venetian” windows. They initiated a design trend in Australia culminating in the popular horizontally-hinged Venetian blinds. The original Venetian windows originated in Venice, Italy, where its Mediterranean, waterside climate drove the design during the time of architect, Andrea Palladio (1508-1580). Their tilt and angle can be changed and act a blade aerofoil to direct cross-flow mistrals during summer to relieve heat. Plantation shutters have recently also revived this trend.

By Andrew Woodhouse, Heritage Solutions