Observations in Architecture at The Old Museum

The Old Museum holds some unusual design features that are consistent with symbols incorporated by Architects and Freemasons of the 19th Century.

These include:

Use of the Pine cone at the finial of each wing
Pine cone sits above a pyramid
Triptych features in doorways and windows
Rays of light above windows and doorways
Pillars and Orbs seen in the towers and domes

The Concert hall of The Old Museum was the site for some of the earliest gatherings of Freemasons in Qld

Little research has been done to document the Freemasonry Symbolism in the Architecture of The Old Museum (Brisbane Exhibition Building), but it has been discovered that the Architects Addison, Oakden and Kemp were members of this society.

A final observation for this blog is the placement of the building on the site, as it doesnt sit 'square' to the roadways. The Exhibition building wing was once a large hall with a superb stained glass window on the Western wall. This window has been largely covered during the lifetime of the building, to protect the Museum artifacts. However, when first built, the midday sun (Summer Solstice) would have tracked directly over the Exhibition wing , flooding the large hall with incandescent light before setting. This would have been quite spectacular, and we look forward to this occurring again with future planned renovations.