ABOUT LINDEN:

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In 1853, Moritz and Rahel Michaelis moved to Melbourne from Germany. A successful merchant, Moritz purchased the vacant land at 26 Acland Street in 1870. Linden was completed the following year, the two-storied Italianate mansion having been designed by architect Alfred Friedrich Kursteiner.

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Curator and landscaper of the Royal Botanic Gardens, William Guilfoyle, designed the extensive grounds that originally surrounded the building.  

 

Linden was the family home of Moritz, Rahel and their fourteen children until 1957, when it was sold to Mr and Mrs Witty and become a private hotel known as Linden Court. It was subdivided during this time and apartments were built on the grounds that once stretched to Robe Street.

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From 1962 to 1972, Linden’s new owners, Theodou and Alice van Veenendaal, continued to operate the mansion as a hotel.

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Linden was purchased by the St Kilda City Council in 1983 and the building became home to what was originally known as the Linden Arts Centre and Gallery in 1986.

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RESTORATION:

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As part of its commitment to supporting and revitalising arts precincts across the city, the City of Port Phillip supported a significant update to Linden's heritage-listed home.

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LYTTON DC WORK:​

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• All heritage carpentry restoration work

• All components of the extension which includes onsite build of double storey frame boasting an 8m plus overall build height and sub-floor frame excluding brick work

• Assembly and installation of pre-fabricated architecturally designed windows and solid timber stairs  

• Propping and pinning of existing masonry walls to instate new openings

• Re-blocking openings to allow for hard plastering

• Erection of pre-fab steel awnings 

• Design and construction of box gutters to relevant standards 

• Liaising with the Heritage builder / Head contractor onsite project manager

• LYTTON DC Head Carpenter and Structural Engineer acting as foreman and producing build ability solutions to the challenging task of combining high end new architectural extension and the heritage builders restoration in one project 

• Installed solid timber Tasmanian Oak flooring in the extension and marrying with  the existing heritage timber flooring.

• Repair and improvement to the existing terrace and balcony

• Provision of additional gallery space

• Re-instatement and onsite welding fabrication of the cast iron balustrade.

• A stunning new entry portico and (DDA) compliant bathrooms

• LYTTON DC assisting in onsite management