The Red Cross House is a heritage-listed former commercial building and now Australian Red Cross and blood transfusion centre located at 153-159 Clarence Street, in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Samuel Lipson, architect, in conjunction with Robertson and Marks and McCredie and built from 1937 to 1938 by Kell & Rigby. It was originally built for the firm of S. Hoffnung & Co.. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 25 May 2001.
History
Warehousing west of the central business district
During the late 19th century and up to the 1950s, the area west of the Central Business District, that is west of George Street through to the former wharves on Darling Harbour, was characterised by businesses with functions and services associated with import and export, textile and clothing manufacturers, etc.
The redevelopment of this area from its predominant early to mid-19th century-use as a residential quarter commenced in the 1860s. The 1880s consolidated Clarence, Kent and York Streets as "the great warehousing streets" of Sydney. After the economic downturn of the 1890s, the pent up demand for warehousing in the first decade of this century resulted in another building boom of large five to seven storey buildings. These new warehouses often also resulted on the consolidation of the smaller residential sized allotments of about 10 perches.
Occupants and owners
The firm of S. Hoffnung & Co. was established in 1853 by Sigmond Hoffnung (1830-1904) a Polish migrant who arrived in Sydney in 1852. During the gold rush years of the 1850s-1860s Hoffnung (in partnership with Henry Nathan) prospered by supplying miners and settlers of the colony with provisions and stores. In 1870 the company commissioned the construction of new purposely built premises at 163/171 Pitt Street. These premises were designed by Thomas Rowe. Also during the 1870s the company opened new branches in Brisbane, New Zealand, Fiji and London. In 1899 the company was incorporated as a private limited liability company and adopted the title of S. Hoffnung & Co. Limited. Later, in 1902 the firm became a public company.
In April 1937 the company's premises at 163-171 Pitt Street were resumed by the Commonwealth Government for the proposed extensions to the Sydney GPO. Prior to this in early 1937 the company had undertaken the purchase of several allotments of land on Kent and Clarence Street. The move to the new premises at Clarence Street was completed in January 1939. While the company continued to trade from their 367-371 Kent Street property the premises at Clarence Street became their headquarters.
Sigmond Hoffnung and presumably his descendants were prominent in Jewish activities in the city of Sydney. Sigmond was associated with the York Street Synagogue and a benefactor of the building committee of the Great Synagogue in Elizabeth Street. He also served on committees to raise money for the Sydney Jewish Sabbath School; the Sydney Hebrew Certified Denominational Scholl, and the Jewish Philanthropic and Orphan Society.
The Clarence Street property was the fifth warehouse occupied by the firm. The location of the earlier premises were generally in the vicinity of the GPO: at 339 George Street (from 1855), 2 Wynyard Street (from 1861), 117 Pitt Street (from 1870) and 163-171 Pitt Street (from 1883). The size and architectural quality of these buildings suggest that the firm during the period 1850s to 1950s was an important member of Sydney's commercial trading houses.
The Australian Red Cross was established in 1914 (as a consequence of the outbreak of hostilities at this time) as a branch of the British organisation. The institution is associated with a wide range of medical and social welfare activities. Prior to the move to Hoffnung building, the New South Wales branch of this society was located in premises at No. 1 York Street.
The current owner of the building is the Australian Red Cross Society. The property was purchased by the Society in July 1970.
Architect
The design of the building is credited to Samuel Lipson in conjunction with the large Sydney architectural practice of Robertson, Marks and McCredie. However the role of Robertson, Marks and McCredie in this relationship is not entirely clear as Lipson alone appears to have been responsible for the drawings prepared in the development stages of the project.