Walhalla, Victoria (Australia) is in the hills of Gippsland. Gold was discovered there in 1862 and a very busy town grew in the valley for the next fifty years. Now the town is a tourist destination with about 30 residents and a wealth of history.
The band rotunda was the performance space for the Mountaineer Brass Band. Mining and brass bands always go together and Walhalla was no exception. The rotunda is octagonal with a high vaulted timber ceiling. This ceiling makes for interesting acoustics. My own brass band played in this rotunda a few years ago on a Sunday afternoon. The shape of the ceiling meant that you could hear the person opposite you in the rotunda but you couldn't hear the players next to you.
Am I the only person who finds quilt patterns in architecture? I don't think so! Here is my octagon block inspired by the timber ceiling in Walhalla.
