Goodman Building restoration works wins industry award

Have you ever driven past the beautiful heritage-listed Goodman Building when passing the Garden on Hackney Road? Did you know this building was formerly the base for the Municipal Tramways Trust but now serves as the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium administration building.

Why is this building so special?

The large three-storey building, now known as the Goodman Building, served as the administrative hub for Adelaide's tram system in the early 1900s.

It was named after Sir William Goodman who was appointed with the task of electrifying Adelaide's tramways.

The building itself was built, along with Tram Barn A, in 1908 to serve as the home of Adelaide's brand-new electrified tram network.

Three further barns were progressively added with the Hackney Depot serving as the main centre of electric tramway operations from 1908 to 1958.

What is its current purpose?

A far cry from its original purpose, the Goodman Building now serves as the administration building for the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium.

Tram Barn A is now home to over one million dried plant specimens in South Australia's State Herbarium.

Many of the building's former attributes are still present inside and the walls are littered with interesting tramway-style characteristics from its past life.

Due to the important local historic connections, the building (along with Tram Barn A) was gazetted on the State Heritage Register in 1983 and both were subsequently added to the Register of the National Estate in 1986.

The Goodman Building is also classified by the National Trust of Australia.

What works were undertaken recently?

As part of an eight-year long conservation project by specialist architects from Grieve Gillett Architects and trades from G Force Building and Consulting involved the repointing of brickwork, painting rendered detailing and the replacement of the entire slate roof which had deteriorated beyond repair.

Most interestingly, the replacement roofing slates were sourced from Penrhyn in Wales and paired with traditional copper nails to match the original and to achieve another 100-year lifespan.

These new works ensure that the Goodman Building continues as a demonstration of civic pride for another century and serves as the administrative gateway into Adelaide Botanic Garden.

What was the award?

Grieve Gillett Architects recently received the David Saunders Award for Heritage Architecture at the 2023 South Australian Architecture Awards.

This is an incredible achievement and reward for the hard work put toward restoring this stunning piece of South Australian history.