Significant Australian Architecture

ANZ Melbourne Docklands

ANZ today announced it would develop Australia’s largest office building on the Yarra River in Melbourne’s extended Collins Street, Docklands to provide high-quality accommodation for 5,500 ANZ staff. The new world-class building, which will be purchased by ANZ, will provide 87,000 square metres of modern office accommodation with retail facilities. ANZ will partner with Lend Lease to develop the $478 million project. This major building will become a new focal point for Melbourne and the Docklands precinct, and for ANZ’s growing businesses in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific. Total construction costs are $377 million. The project is due to be completed in the second half of 2009. The high specification building will have a minimum 5-star Green Star rating, one of only a handful of commercial office buildings in Australia to have the low environmental footprint rating. Environmentally-efficient features will include rainwater collection, greater use of fresh air and natural light, a landscaped roof and improved energy efficiency to reduce greenhouse impacts. The building is specifically designed to align with ANZ’s progressive culture and values, and will include dedicated facilities for ANZ staff including a crèche, gymnasium, car and bicycle parking and a variety of retail and food outlets.

Harry & Penelope Seidler House

Killara, Sydney, 400 sq m, White reinforced masonry walls, concrete floors and roof, rubble stone retaining walls and fireplace. Wilkinson Award, RAIA, 1967. Although this house is located in an established suburb it is secluded in a steep valley adjacent to a natural bush reserve which assures privacy. Outlook is onto unspoilt nature and a creek running along the bottom of the site, which turns into a gushing waterfall during rainy periods. The garage is at the top, directly off the street, cantilevered over a rock ledge. Approach to the house is across an entry bridge which leads into the topmost of four half levels which follow the slope of the land down. The top level accommodates kitchen, dining and library. The second level the living space and main bedroom, the third the children's rooms and playroom, level with the garden and the bottom a studio, utility and guest suite. The visual aim of the design is to extend the horizontal freedom of space vertically by opening the various levels into each other and creating a two-and-a-half storey high open shaft between them. The house has been lived-in for thirty years without any change. A swimming pool was built below the house some years after it was completed.