Monday 21 June 2021

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: 420 George Street (1971)

Full Citation Below


Welcome to the last entry in our current series of "Never Builts"

The first proposal to build an office tower at 420 George Street dates back to 1971, nearly four decades before a tower would rise.

At the time, the site was home to Anthony Horderns Mid City store, Curzons and Katies. 


Source: Fryeberg, I. 1971. "Plan for $13m city building". The Sydney Morning Herald, March 18: 11.

Tjuringa Securities Ltd, owned by Gordon Barton proposed a 46 level office building. Unlike the current tower which stretches from George Street through to Pitt Street,  It stretched from north to south and was positioned towards Pitt Street.

The reasons for its cancellation are unknown, but options to build remained open for another three decades. When the original Mid-City Centre opened in 1982, it was designed to accomodate a future tower development.

Despite this, the centre was demolished in 2010 with a new Mid City Centre rising on the site and topped off by a 36 level office tower. This was lower than the 46 levels proposed in 1971, but height limits and sun access planes into Hyde Park meant any tower built had to avoid its shadow encroaching on the park. 


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