Collingwood Sailors & Soldiers Memorial Hall

Collingwood Sailors & Soldiers Memorial Hall

The Collingwood Sailor’s & Soldiers Memorial Hall was built in 1924 to commemorate fallen soldiers after World War I. It was an important place for the community to come together and share in their grief after the devastating loss of war. Every family had lost either a father, son, brother or husband.

The hall hosted many important events, including regular Veteran meetings, choir practice, and functions such as weddings and performances. Sadly, the hall has been abandoned for more than 20 years, with significant deterioration and graffiti-covered walls. The virtual tour by Hidden Melbourne shows the devastating condition of the building.

How can we save the building and bring the stories of the past back to life, reconnecting the community with this important part of their heritage?

Lieutenant William Ruthven VC, 22nd Battalion - A Collingwood local who laid the hall’s foundation stone.

Lieutenant Benjamin Stavely Tapner, 22nd Battalion - Died during the war. His father was the architect who designed the memorial hall.

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A once beloved hall now abandoned

The below photos by Hidden Melbourne show just how bad the condition of the Memorial Hall has gotten. Sections of the ceiling and walls are missing, rubbish is left everywhere, and graffiti is on the walls. Although the hall has been abandoned, local street artists have used the interior walls as a canvas for their artwork. While this is viewed as an inappropriate use of the space, it shows how they have given a different value to the space as an outlet for creative expression. The new design concept will seek to provide an appropriate space for street artists to create their artwork whilst still respecting the original purpose of the hall. In this way, the hall can survive by meeting the needs of the current community.

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Design Concept

Inspiration came from Collingwood’s war history and industrial past, the local community of creative street artists, and the desire to provide spaces that reconnect the community with such an important part of their heritage. The hall provides space to reflect, connect, educate, be creative, hold events, and offer support for soldiers. It is not just part of the past but part of Collingwood’s future.

Design Concept Virtual Tour

Explore the 3D virtual tour of the revived Collingwood Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. Designed for a student project for Swinburne University of Technology

Project Details:

Created for: Swinburne University of Technology

Subject: 2023 Honours Year Capstone

Software: Revit, Enscape, Adobe Suite

Designed by Darshana Thapa