Melbourne Savage Club

The Melbourne Savage Club building dates from the 1880s and over time had fallen behind current standards in fire safety and electrical installations.

100 years of wiring and conduit was fixed to walls, skirtings and architraves, and coated with 100 years of paint. This is a common issue faced by owners of historic buildings and the challenge is to introduce and conceal modern services without compromising the historic building fabric. Considerable dexterity and sound knowledge of historic building methods are necessary to achieve the required results. The club is a charming building and a light touch was imperative.

The Club was rewired with a computer controlled lighting system, thermal and smoke detectors were installed, airconditioning was provided to the members lounge discretely concealed beneath the stage. A dumb waiter was installed servicing the ‘longroom’, and the basement and waiters pantry areas were refurbished.

22 cubic metres of old wiring, conduit and other accretions were removed during the course of the project.

To the casual observer, the interior remains unchanged, just as specified in the client’s brief.

Photo: Janusz Molinski