page_title: Finney Isles & Co Building
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Finney Isles & Co Building / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: Interior of Finney Isles department store, Brisbane, 1910 Samples of dress material displayed in the fabric section of the Brisbane department store, Finney Isles.
context_page_description: Finney Isles & Co Building is a heritage-listed department store at 196 Queen Street, Brisbane CBD, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Claude William Chambers and built from 1909 to 1910 by James Mason. It was also known as David Jones.
  In 1992 the building was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register; at that time, the building was occupied by David Jones Limited which had taken over Finney Isles & Co in the 1960s.
context_section_description: The building with frontages to Queen and Adelaide Streets, comprises four main sections of varying levels and differing facade treatment.
  The southern Queen Street section (1909) has six storeys with a basement. The facade contains five vertical bays of windows, now painted, above the ground floor level. The bays are divided by a cluster of slender columns and mouldings extending into delicate floral decoration at their top. The cornice is elaborately decorated with egg and dart moulding, and rows of rosettes on the soffit and face. The words, "THE BIG BLOCK" and "FINNEY ISLES & CO. LIMITED" are contained on the parapet in raised lettering. Above the parapet is a central raised classical pediment containing the date "A1909D". A concrete and glass overhead walkway that spans from the building to the opposite side of the Queen Street Mall intrudes into the facade at the first floor level.
  The northern Queen Street section (1929 with extensions in 1949) is of six levels. The facade comprises a perforated steel screen masking an earlier facade.
  The northern Adelaide Street section (1909) comprises three storeys. The facade is more austere than that of Queen Street, reflecting the lesser importance of this street address. Originally having five distinct bays, half of the far right bay has been removed in the construction of the neighbouring section. The upper level windows have broad arched openings that are visually connected to the square headed windows below by plain flanking pilasters. The windows have been painted. Above these at parapet level is a central triangular pediment incorporating the date "A 1909 D".
  The southern Adelaide Street section (1936) comprises six storeys. The facade, in the Art Deco style, consists of three bays of four windows separated by pilasters. The art deco treatment returns for some distance along the southern wall. The windows, now painted, are all small, slender rectangular openings. Decorative friezes occur between the pilasters at each change in level, and again on the parapet.
  The shopfronts at both Adelaide Street and Queen Streets contain modern glazing, finishes and fittings.
  Internally the store has been substantially changed. Part of the original ceiling is visible at the front of the 1909 Queen Street section on the upper level. On the first floor of the Adelaide Street section the ceiling is also substantially intact. The 1930s Adelaide Street section retains much of its Art Deco detailing, particularly evident is the black and white Rockhampton marble around the lift wells.
caption: Interior of Finney Isles & Co, 1910
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