Marcus Barlow

Who was Marcus Barlow?

Marcus Barlow was an Australian architect and a successful and influential designer during the economic turmoil of The Great Depression and World War II. His projects were important to the development of Melbourne architecture, being innovative in use of new technologies and inspired by international design movements. In his commercial projects, Barlow was the first to utilize a change in height restrictions of towers in Melbourne, the first to use an escalator and the first to incorporate air conditioning. Barlow also played an important role in the modernization of the building industry, through designing and following a highly structured development schedule. He was innovative on a domestic level as well, as seen in his Strawbale Home Building, in which he used straw bales as a more economical alternative to brick construction. His various projects show an interest in a diverse range of styles that vary from Old English, to Commercial Gothic, to early Modernism.