Carmel Formerly Saxonia Flats

Built in 1896, this highly decorated block of flats would certainly have formed a landmark on the edge of the mining town. The shops on the ground floor echo the shape dictated by the diagonal line. Presumably the name change occurred with the anti-German feeling in World War I. In 1987 Carmel and the adjoining Nathanson’s Building were earmarked for demolition but a public outcry led architects RFB to a new solution. This involved shifting Gardees Arcade further west and cantilevering the proposed new office preserving the arcade to this day.