The Adelaide Young Men’s Christian Association Building.

Scarce c.19th engraving of the YMCA building designed by architect Thomas Smeaton which was on the corner of Gawler Place and Grenfell Street, Adelaide.

Thomas Hyland Smeaton was born on 8 July 1857 in Glasgow

Smeaton arrived in Adelaide and by 1882 Smeaton was practising as an architect on his own, winning the competition to design the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) building on the corner of Grenfell Street and Gawler Place, Adelaide. Smeaton’s design was chosen by the YMCA on 3 May 1883 and by the end of August the building tender of Messrs C Farr and Sons was accepted and work was commenced ‘under the supervision of Messrs D Garlick and TH Smeaton’ (‘The Young Men’s Christian Association’ 1884: 34-5). The extensive shops, warehouse and premises for the YMCA covered nearly three-quarters of an acre and was three storeys high. The warehouse was occupied by Messrs Goode, Durrant, Tite and Co., and the street and basement floors were leased as shops and cellars. The YMCA portion of the building along Gawler Place comprised an entrance vestibule and staircases, a hall to seat 1000 people, reception rooms, reading rooms, secretary’s rooms, two parlours, a dining room for 200 and a gymnasium. It cost £27,000. The facade was classically styled and the interior was ‘richly ornamented throughout’ with ‘panels, mouldings, niches for statues, and pilasters … The ceiling [was] panelled and ornamented with two handsome centre flowers … The steps [were] of Sicilian marble.’ The hall was 97 feet x 45 feet, with the daylight ‘obtained entirely from the roof [and] [s]o that the full glare of sunlight should not be felt in the hall an inner framing for ornamental glass [was] introduced, softening the light and giving a rich appearance to the ceiling’ (‘The Young Men’s Christian Association’ 1884: 34-5)

From the original edition of the Australasian Sketcher.

Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 914558
State Library New South Wales: REF1/MAV/FM4/9236-9239
State Library Victoria: PCINF AS 06-09-73 P.104