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Taken on: June 25, 2023

Uploaded on: June 24, 2023

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Century Building Corner of Swanston and Little Collins Streets, Melbourne,

Photograph: Peter Andrew Barrett Collection ©

The Century Building contained in addition to shops on its ground floor and offices on its upper levels, a 500 seat cinema - the Century Theatre - located in its basement.

The Century Building contained in addition to shops on its ground floor and offices on its upper levels, a 500 seat cinema - the Century Theatre - located in its basement. This was what was known as a ‘news theatre’, which showed continuous sessions of news, sport, cartoons and other short entertainment programs, rather than feature films. The Century Building is one of Melbourne’s finest inter-war commercial buildings.

Heralded, at the time of its completion in 1940, as Melbourne’s first air conditioned building, the Century Building was also admired as a bookend to the Manchester Unity Building located at the opposite end of this block of Swanston Street. The Century Building and the Manchester Unity Building were designed by the eminent architect, Marcus Barlow, and both have a distinct corner tower. Two others close by, the Presgrave Building and Howey Court (now demolished), were also designed by Barlow.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -