QV Building

I have shot this wonderful Sydney building before but usually in a somewhat more direct manner. Here its reflection is creatively distorted by one of the anonymous glass towers that stand guard around and about it.

The Queen Victoria Building, now affectionately known as the QVB, was designed by George McRae and completed in 1898, replacing the original Sydney markets on the site. Built as a monument to the long reigning monarch, construction took place in a severe recession. The elaborate Romanesque architecture was specially planned for the grand building so the Government could employ many out-of-work craftsmen - stonemasons, plasterers, and stained window artists - in a worthwhile project.

As recently as 1959 the Queen Victoria Building was threatened with demolition. As it stands now, in all its glory, it is testimony to the original vision for the building, the stubborn determination of those who wanted to preserve it and the superb craftsmanship of the artisans who put it all back together again in the 1980s. It now plays host to some of the most upmarket fashion boutiques in the city.