Twenty-one of Ballarat’s most architecturally significant buildings are set to open their doors to the public, as Open House Melbourne extends its program to the regional city.
For one weekend in late October, visitors will have the chance to see private houses, commercial buildings and landscapes in Ballarat that they wouldn’t usually have the chance to see.
Ahead of the full program launch next week, Open House have announced three highlights of the Open House Ballarat program, which will run between 28 and 29 October.
These preview highlights are Two Halves House by Moloney Architects, Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre by Billard Leece Partnerships, and The Loreto Chapel by William Tappin.
Two Halves House by Moloney Architects
Photography by Christine Francis
Taking the pitched roof country house form and splitting in half, Two Halves House sets up a close relationship with its bush setting. The upper pavilion houses a cellular arrangement of bedrooms and bathrooms, while the lower pavilion is the more public side of the house. This lower level consists of a large, open living space with access to views on the south.
Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre by Billard Leece Partnership
Photography by Tony Millar
Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre provides the latest technology for cancer treatment supported by a radiotherapy facility, a Medical Oncology Unit, a satellite pharmacy, and a multidisciplinary consultation suite. Radiation bunkers were designed to be less imposing, with a floral ceiling pattern that can be lit up in a variety of ways to calm patients during treatment.
The Loreto Chapel by William Tappin
Image: Loreto College
The Loreto Chapel was designed and built in 1898, and is one of the largest and most elaborate convent churches in Victoria. The convent chapel represents a notable application of the use of decorative paintwork and stencilling, tessellated tile work (replaced by parquetry in 1930), and stained glass.
