WILLSON HALL, 2021
Parkville, Victoria
Wilson Hall is the ceremonial hall of the University of Melbourne and was designed by architects Bates, Smart
and McCutcheon and officially opened on 22 March, 1956.
Wilson Hall is architecturally significant as an early and distinctive example of the post-war International Style. It was the first major public building in Victoria to combine ornament, artwork and detail within the strict visual tenet of the monumental form of the International Style. Wilson Hall was indicative of the development of aesthetics and architectural design with its monumental proportions, simple cuboid form, use of curtain wall glazing, lavish materials including the Swedish birch panelling and the black Italian marble and the extensive artwork both inside and outside the buildings. Wilson hall is a distinguished work of architects Bates Smart and McCutcheon.
Wilson Hall is aesthetically significant for the murals and sculptures of Tom Bass and Douglas Annand. The murals are integral elements of the building, and expressive of the meaning and purpose of a great hall and of a university, and demonstrate a notable application of decorative schemes.
Sourced from the Victorian Heritage Database Report: Wilson Hall; Accessed 15/12/2021
