Restoration of Beehive Corner

The Beehive Corner building is a city landmark and occupies one of the most prominent sites in the City. The current building, constructed in 1896, replaced the earlier ‘Beehive’ building on this site. The level of detailing and the inclusion of the corner turret and bee are unusual and distinctive.

In the 1960’s, prior to the buildings heritage listing, the integrity of the building was compromised by ground floor redevelopment, dominant advertising signage, the removal of gothic gables on the western elevation, and the encasement of part of the facade to King William Street in metal cladding.

In 1997-1998 the building received Heritage Incentives Scheme funding in order to reinstate the original elements and return the building to its former glory. The new bee was cast in solid aluminium.

This restoration project was significant because it involved the coming together of funding from the City of Adelaide, the State Heritage Department and the five private owners at the time.

Altogether, the building received a combination of funding grants and long-term loans in the order of $700k.