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Royal Exhibition Building

on October 1, 1880, in just 18 months, during the time of the international exhibition movement which presented over 50 exhibitions between 1851 and 1915 in various different places. The building sits on 64 acres surrounded by four city streets. The exhibition is about 150 meters long with ample light and high ceilings.

The building is representative of the money and pride Victoria had in the 1870's. The Great Hall is still in great condition with an octagonal drum and dome rising 68 meters and 18.3 meters in diameter. The dome was formed using cast iron and rendered stone. It is timer framed and has a double shell. The East and West sides of the building are symmetrical along with the North and south.

Composed of brick, timber, steel, and slate, the Exhibition Building is representative of the Byzantine, Romanesque, Lombardic and Italian Renaissance styles. It was of Beaux Arts architecture inspiration and is representative of a cruciform plan ; a floor plan in the shape of a Latin cross in this case. At the crossing of the plan is where the dome rises from. Windows bring in sunlight for a bright open space. The interior of the building features a pipe organ, many murals and the worlds "Victoria Welcomes All Nations". In 1888, electric lighting was installed for the Melbourne exposition. This made the exposition the first in the world that was accessible during night time. The interior decorations changed between the two exhibitions of 1880 and 1888. In 1880 the walls were left bare and windows and door joinery colored green. In 1888, walls were painted for the first time. Decoration were decided by the interior designer John Ross Anderson.

Joseph Reed of Reed and Barnes. The Royal Exhibition Building was the largest design completed by Reed and Barnes.

The design of the Royal exhibition Building received a first place award in a architectural design competition. Reed also designed the Baroque style gardens.

Mitchell was a member of the Council of the Royal Agricultural society and also the Builders and Contractor's association.

Renovations
Renovations include the timber flooring, building services, externals, and stonework. Most timber staircases have been replaced by concrete for safety also. The site has continued to be very authentic through all renovations though. All additions have been removes such as the East and West annexes and the two North structures. The Australian Government has recently granted $20 million dollars for further renovation to protect and promote the Royal Exhibition Building. The South faces will include conservation world, the dome of the Great Hall will be repaired and will create a new experience. The basement will be turned into a curatorial exhibition experience. This will be a place where history is brought to life, and ideas of the future are expanded upon. The Australian Department of Environment and Energy, along with Heritage Victoria, Creative Victoria and Museums Victoria will overseen the projects. The renovations are predicted to be finished by 2020.