Olde English Tiles was recently approached to restore the grand tessellated entrance floor of historic Shubra Hall in Croydon. It was built between 1869-88 for Anthony Hordern III of the legendary Hordern family, probably by the City Architect Albert Bond. The architectural style is Victorian Second Empire, and incorporates a wealth of eclectic design elements, including Romanesque, French Renaissance & Aesthetic Movement. In 1891 it was purchased by the Presbyterian Church and converted into a girls school - PLC Croydon.
In 2014 Shubra Hall was added to the NSW State Heritage Register in recognition that "The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and a high degree of creative or technical achievement in NSW". It was, therefore, no surprise that the brief given to Olde English by the builders @Azar Building required that we install an exact replica of the existing floor, as the original had deteriorated to such an extent that it couldn't be saved. This required the fabrication of several special screens to enable the reproduction of the various encaustic tiles, plus matching the 1880s tessellated colours. The other key challenge for the tilers was posed by the tightly curved corners of the entrance, a feature that contributes to the space's unique charm.
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