Tuxedo Cat Café:
We have just emerged from another highly successful season of festival and cultural madness in Adelaide. The city has been alive with theatre goers or just those coat-tailing on the sheer buzz and excitement of it all.
One aspect that makes the Fringe Festival in particular occur so successfully in Adelaide is the heritage back drop of Rundle St and the make shift venues tucked away in lanes overflowing with character.
Synagogue Place is a unique precinct with a former synagogue,Gerard and Goodman’s building,art deco facades and the Freemason’s theatre at the northern end. Among all this are buildings which do not have grand architectural merit in themselves but are a vital part of this Bohemian-Grunge streetscape. One such building houses a market bazaar while providing three performing arts spaces throghout the Fringe. The roof top with the Tuxedo cat Bar and the accompanying theatre venue is magical in atmosphere. If this were in a similar location in Melbourne, perhaps London or Paris, its true worth as an iconic Fringe hub would surely be realised.
But what do we have as a proposal to replace it? – Yet another shiny, mundane characterless apartment block for students! If not resisted this will totally destroy the streetscape and rob it of realising its full potential an ongoing cultural and entertainment hub.
Let’s stop morphing this city into match box like buildings for student accommodation. There are more creative and enduring possibilities available for both providing adequate accommodation and maintaining a working heritage environment.
March 20th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
great!!