NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Regent Hotel - Early Scheme (1978)

In 1978, the NSW Government announced plans to construct what would become the Regent Hotel (now Four Seasons Hotel), one of Sydney's most prestigious and famous hotels. The hotel was opened in 1982 with 531 rooms.

Did you know that the 30-storey hotel had a different design proposal when it was announced? Below is a 1978 article from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Source: Anonymous. 1978. "$40m luxury hotel planned for Quay". The Sydney Morning Herald, August 23: 10. 

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Early Scheme for 1 O'Connell Street (1987)

Full Citation Below.

1 O'Connell Street, as we know it, was designed by Peddle Thorp Walker. The 36 level/166 metre tower was completed in 1991 and is topped of by a spire inspired by spires on other Sydney buildings such as the Queen Victoria Building and Lands Department Building. It replaced the CSR Building, built in the 1960's and was demolished to make way for the tower.

However, this may not have happened as an earlier design for the tower did not consider a spire, but rather a much more standard roof.

Not proceeding with this scheme was a good decision, as Sydneysiders were rewarded with a tower featuring a notable architectural feature. The site itself commands never to be built views, meaning that any tower built had to be a focal point. Peddle Thorp Walkers' design achieves it. 

Source: Chancellor, J. 1987. "Highest high-tech floors may notch $850 sq m". The Sydney Morning Herald, December 8: 33.

1957: How did Sydney get the new Gladesville Bridge?

Source: Anon. 1957. "Artist's Impression of Proposed Bridge". The Sydney Morning Herald, March 9: 8. 

Earlier this year, I found an illustration of a proposed Steel Cantalever Bridge that was proposed to replace the (old) Gladesville Bridge at Gladesville.

By the 1950's congestion along the crossing was a concern. The original bridge (1881) was only two lanes allowing for one lane of traffic in each direction. It was a low level bridge; a swing bridge which was opened at regular intervals to allow boating traffic to navigate along the Parramatta River.

The Department of Main Roads (DMR) wanted a new bridge as part of the planned (and never built) North Western Expressway to link northern Sydney, Central Coast and Newcastle to the Sydney CBD.

In 1957, tenders were invited by the DMR based on the steel cantilever bridge design with a span of 299 metres. The four tenders projected costs ranging from 2.51 million pounds ($5.2 million) to 3.87 million pounds ($7.77 million). A tender for a concrete arch bridge was submitted with a projected 2.39 million pound ($4.78 million) cost.

The DMR awarded the tender for a concrete arch bridge in 1959. The span was increased six metres to 305 metres and would cost 2.56 million pounds.

Deeper excavation of thrust blocks and the construction of the 10 lane northern approaches meant that the final cost was 3.6 million pounds. This converts to a cost of over $100 million today as based on the RBA Inflation Calculator.

Construction began in 1959 and was completed in 1964.

Additional Information:

Maxwell, M. "Gladesville Bridge - 50th Anniversary". PowerPoint Presentation. Accessed July 24, 2020. https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2017-01/Div_Syd_techPres_gladesville_bridge.pdf


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1998: An Alternative scheme for the Deutsche Bank Place

Deutsche Bank Place in Phillip Street was completed in 2005. The 240 metre tower (to spire) was designed by Norman Foster. One of its main features is the sloped exoskeleton atop the building to comply with the sun access plane that encompasses the site.

Did you know that an early scheme called for the exoskeleton to be curved instead of sloping diagonally?

When I look at it, it does appear like the sail on a yacht but also makes me think of the Opera House sails. Also there is no spire with the design.

The design attracted much controversy but since completion has received nothing but acclaim, plus it has been a very welcome addition to the Sydney skyline.

For commercial firms, the 43 000 sq/m of space over 31 floors has been highly sought after especially for its facilities and views.

Source: Susskind, A. & Totaro, P. 1998. "Tower plan offers new slant on our city skyline". The Sydney Morning Herald, June 18, page unknown.

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Original Wales Bank Scheme (1964)

At the eastern end of Martin Place and directly opposite to the headquarters of the Reserve Bank of Australia is the Westpac Building.

Today I will share a clipping relating to the evolution of the building that occupies the site.

In 1964, a 20 level building was proposed, which would have been according to The Sydney Morning Herald as about the same height as the Reserve Bank Building directly opposite. It would have been a "giant" for Sydney but today would be a "dwarf" against the 70 and 80 levels that some Sydney towers are or will be.

Source: Anonymous. 1964. "Office Giant for City." The Sydney Morning Herald, November 6: 3. 

However, in 1967, we saw the conception of the eventual design. The tower would end up being 30 levels or 119 metres tall.

Source: Anonymous. 1967. "381ft over Martin Place". The Daily Telegraph, December 8: 9. 

It was completed in 1970 and would be the headquarters for the Wales Bank (rebranded Westpac) until 2006 when it relocated its headquarters to in Kent Street.

The tower as seen from Sydney Tower. Photograph taken by the Author. 

The building has been upgraded since. The podium was enlarged. Westpac still has offices in the complex. However, a development application has been lodged with Sydney City Council to demolish the structure and replace it with a taller tower. Hassall has designed a 35 storey (139 metre) tower. The tower would also overhang St Stephens Uniting Church, though the plans have been criticised by those associated by the Church.

The proposed tower to replace the existing Westpac Building. Sourced from the Skyscrapercity Forums. 

1995: Sydney's Olympic Road (M4 East)

With the WestConnex now planning to snake its way under Sydney, lets look at one dead scheme that was proposed for the inner west from 1995 as a solution to the traffic gridlock on Parramatta Road.

However it was not going to be a motorway and the road would run above ground through a section of Concord and Five Dock before connecting with the City West Link at Wattle Street, Haberfield. A wise idea to not proceed with it because I think it wouldn't have had any major impact on traffic on Parramatta Road. The bottlenecks would have shifted east along the road into Haberfield and Ashfield. This appears that controlling traffic there would be so challenging as you'd not just manage traffic coming out of the new road but also the City-West Link, Parramatta Road and Frederick Street, Ashfield.

Two alternative routes were considered. One would have included a tunnel under Parramatta Road like the WestConnex Motorway but would have required closure of parts of Parramatta Road or the construction of a viaduct along Parramatta Road.

Source: Larkin, J. 1995. "RTA in push for Olympic road link," The Sunday Telegraph, August 20: 5.

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: The never ending saga of 33 Bligh Street (Kindersley House) - 1989

I walk past a vacant 33 Bligh Street in central Sydney, and I eagerly await the construction of the new electricity substation plus a new office tower.

Above: 33 Bligh Street as of June 2014. 

Photos were taken by the Author.

It has been a long saga and it goes all the way back to 1989 when a $110 million office tower was proposed and approved. It never got off the ground.

Source: Mossop, J. 1989. "$110m office tower," The Daily Telegraph, June 23: page unknown.

As the 1990s progressed, the proposals evolved and we ended up with a 235 metre, 52 storey tower proposed for the site. I took this photo back in 2002 at the City of Sydney Model Room at Town Hall. To achieve the height, a 12 storey atrium was created that allowed the apartments to be built higher. Without this atrium, the tower would have had to be shorter in order to comply with Sydney City Council's planning guidelines.

Above: The 52 level, 235 metre tower proposed for the site from the late 1990's/early 2000's. The model also shows the 12 storey atrium.

Photo taken by the Author.

It would have been an apartment tower and the tallest such tower in Sydney, beating the current tallest World Tower by five metres. The unique feature of the tower was that the apartments were to be located on silts stretching fifty metres high above Bligh Street.

Despite being approved by council, that fell through.

A few other proposals came and went like this one from 2007...

Source: skyscrapercity.com forum

In 2009, the State Government under Nathan Rees bought out the site for a proposed CBD metro rail line as it wanted to act as an entrance to a proposed Hunter Street metro station. This fell through. With the site in state hands, it was then decided to build an electricity substation to serve the electricity demands of the Sydney CBD. This has led to our current proposal. It will be 30 levels or 165 metres tall. The electricity substation will form the podium. The building is designed by Kannfinch.

Source: skyscrapercity.com forum.

What disappoints me about the proposal is that they could have allowed for even more space, but the tower needs to reflect Sydney City Council planning guidelines which have restricted the current proposal to its height. As mentioned, Bligh Apartments managed to get approved at the higher height because of the "stilts". I think the approach to the design would have worked more effectively with the additional height.

The Government and Council have in my view squandered a potential opportunity to utilise a city site to its full potential.

Above: Awaiting the rise of a tower.

Photo taken by the Author.

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Alternative scheme for the Kingsgate Hotel, Kings Cross (1969)

I was quite surprised when I came across this design for the Kingsgate Hotel at Kings Cross (Now Zenith Apartments). Instead of having an antenna atop the building, what appears to be a globe tops it off like that atop the Daily Planet Building in Superman. Personally, Kings Cross might have ended up with another icon alongside the Coke sign at its podium. I'm surprised that the Daily Telegraph didn't make the effort to comment on it.

I'm not sure at this stage why they took it off, but my bet is cost cutting???

Source: Anonymous. 1969. "Kings Cross Skyscraper". The Daily Telegraph, August 26:14.

1969: Plans for the AMP Centre are released

The AMP Centre at Circular Quay is square in terms of its shape, but did you know it was meant originally to be rectangular according to its original proposal that was unveiled by the AMP back in 1969? They were aiming for completion by 1974.

The height of 612ft when converted measures to 187 metres, which was the final height. Peddle Thorp and Walker were the architects.

Source: Anon. 1969. "Landmark: Tallest building to rise 612ft". The Daily Telegraph, March 28 1969: 12. 

 

At this stage, I have not yet located an article that confirms the changes that resulted in the tower that did rise. What we do know was that tower was not finished until 1976.

Photo taken by the author.