SYDNEY: The Queen Victoria Building in central Sydney has emerged from a $48million, six year restoration as a vision of its original beauty.
Mixing historical charm with modern shopping facilities, the building has improved lighting, new signage, new shop fronts, carpets, elevators and painting. A fresh colour palette was inspired by the Victorian era and consists of red, turquoise and eggshell blue.
The building's heritage grand columns were emphasised by installing frameless glass shop fronts.
A key development was the installation of new escalators, comprising a more efficient travel route through the building for shoppers.
The renovations have focused on making the building more environmentally friendly in terms of water conservation and energy reduction. The changes are expected to achieve a reduction of approximately 13.7 per cent in the building's power consumption.
The building was originally built in 1898 and today is home to numerous retail stores including Country Road, Saba, Mimco, Camper and Oroton. It remained open to the public throughout the development.