QVB Sydney

The Queen Victoria Building is my all time favourite building in Sydney. Not that I’ve seen everything Sydney has to offer, but I can’t see my love for this grand old building changing. QVB Sydney is historic, beautiful and rather individual.  We booked a tour with Robyn, the Concierge and it was clear she has a passion for this building too as she proudly took us around and showed us her ‘office’.

The QVB is quite astonishing and has weathered trials and triumphs and not only survived the threat of demolition but won the opportunity for a high risk restoration. A lot of its finery has gone full circle, from the awnings and graceful Victorian shopfronts being removed and then re-emerging after restoration. The same as the vibrant stained glass windows once obscured and now restored to their splendour.

The Queen Victoria Building is a late nineteenth-century building designed by the architect George McRae in the central business district of Sydney, Australia.

The interior is stunning, the architecture eye popping, just magnificent how it combines modern day shopping with historical value.  This spectacular grand old building is in the centre of Sydney. Despite major renovations they have kept the original staircases, lifts and interior décor within the sandstone façade heralding back to the colonial past.

Despite the renovations and restorations of the QVB it has retained the public market roots. Well you can still buy produce and textiles here just they are now in the form of prepared gourmet meals and designer label clothes.

Inside are numerous pricey shops to appeal to a lot of people’s discerning tastes and many different small cafes to make this an ideal place to indulge in window shopping or people watching whilst enjoying a relaxing cuppa, savouring the beauty of this incredible piece of architecture.

I couldn’t believe when I learnt that at one stage they were set to demolish this iconic building.

Walking through this mall feels like a stroll back to the magnificence of the Victorian era with the Romanesque architecture, wrought iron and domed roofline. Don’t forget to look up and admire the best feature of the building, a massive stained glass dome in the centre. The dome allows ample natural light to illuminate the amazing building. It is clear this building has been carefully restored, with ornate tiled floors, ornate and animated clocks. There is even a time capsule containing a letter on display from Queen Elizabeth to the citizens of Sydney with instructions not to open until 2085, the year the current 99 year lease expires.

The QVB is one Sydney destination of equal value for locals and visitors alike and a place we frequent each time we visit Sydney. Even if you don’t plan spending money on shopping or eating, it is worth a 30 minute investment of your time to take in a tour with the Concierge to learn a little about the history. You will stroll around and admire the details of the workmanship throughout. Upstairs you will see the Royal Clock and the Great Australian Clock, both definitely worth a look.

I would hate to imagine the Sydney city landscape without the QVB. The QVB fills an entire city block and dominated by the mighty centre dome with its glass inner and exterior copper sheath. Every detail was faithfully restored, from the glorious stained glass windows, the splendid staircases, colonnades, cupolas, arches, pillars, balustrades and intricate tiled floors typically in intricate Victorian style, maintaining the integrity of the era of the buildings’ origin.  Much of the tilework is original, especially under the central dome, the remainder is in keeping with the original style.

The restoration reflected the building’s original design and a bold and gutsy colour palette of red, turquoise and eggshell blue was used to replicate how the Victorian era embraced colour.

The entire cartwheel stained glass window had to be replaced after it was destroyed by the Hilton bombing in 1978 and the visual message is the finishing touch to the $48 million project. It includes Sydney’s coat of arms, a beehive to depict business, a sailing ship depicting trade, dolphins representing the harbour. One panel represents the council of City of Sydney, symbols of architecture. There are very few signs that QVB is owned and leased for 99 years by a Malaysian company, but a representation is the letters IGB on one panel symbolising Ipoh Gardens Berhad. Another panel on the bottom centre is two joining hands denoting the fusing of two cultures.

Two inclusions representing Queen Victoria are outside QVB in Town Hall Place. A colossal statue of Queen Victoria on a grey stone plinth was a gift to the people of Sydney from the Government of Republic of Ireland. The second, nearby is the Royal wishing well and a 60cm bronze sculpture of Queen Victoria’s faithful companion, her dog Islay. The recorded voice of John Laws requests a donation when you make a wish and the money is donated to deaf and blind children.  An addition to the rim of the well is a stone from the battlements of Blarney Castle, Ireland.

The $48 million project promoted an upgrade that reflected the building’s original design, including devising a Victorian inspired colour palette to complement the unique cultural elements in the use of red, turquoise and eggshell blue as a more energetic and frank interpretation of how the Victorian awareness embraced colour in courageous combinations. There aren’t many signs that it’s now owned and leased by a Malaysian company for 99 years. But the beautiful stained glass cartwheel window has three panels, and one has the letters I.G.B which stands for Ipoh Gardens Berhad.

For some delectable treats in QVB head to the top floor for some grandeur for a traditional high tea in what was previously the Grand Ballroom. Now the QVB Tea Room, it still epitomises style and quality. A private entrance via an old worldly cage elevator sets the scene and when you enter the large room it is like stepping back in time to the original facade of the building with intricate art deco ceilings. On the second floor try traditional Chinese with a hint of colonial opulence at Fat Buddha. On the ground floor, sweet treats from Adriano Zumbo’s patisserie.

At Christmas the QVB is adorned with the most magical Christmas tree. Spanning 3 levels with 144,000 magnificent Swarovski crystal ornaments and 60,000 lights it takes more than 40 hours to be erected. Installed by a team of 72 technicians, engineers, lighting consultants and crystal makers this special tree is renowned worldwide. We would love to go back to QVB and see that tree.

Quite simply, I think it’s the most magnificent building in Sydney and I’m so glad they did not end up demolishing such a magnificent example of 19th century architecture. If you enjoyed this post you might like to check out The Block in Melbourne.

Have you been to QVB? What is your favourite part of the building?

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