NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Centennial Place Towers (1980)

In this entry in the latest instalment of Never Built Sydney, I look at one of the never-built proposals for what is now the site of the Centennial Plaza complex in Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills (Opposite Central Station). The site comprises three office towers—16, 13, and 10 levels, respectively—a public square, and ground-floor retail. 

The site was originally home to the Tooheys Brewery, which opened in 1875

In 1976, Tooheys shifted its brewing operations to its present site Lidcombe. They sought to redevelop the site, blending in the old with the new. This included two 16-storey office buildings and the retention of historical buildings fronting Mary Street. 84-86 Mary Street (separate site) would also be preserved and eventually was converted into office space.

Source: Jones, J. 1980. "Tooheys plans to spend $35m on old brewery". The Sydney Morning Herald, April 11: 19.

What makes this proposal stand out from the eventual complex is the incorporation of heritage into the development. It may have limited the space for the office buildings and clustered them closer to each other, but it would have been more friendly to the streetscape and sympathetic to Surry Hills itself. 

One downside is that the buildings would appear aged today but could potentially be ripe for redevelopment in Sydney of 2025. 

1973: North Sydney's booming skyline

Source: Donaldson, J. 1973. "$800 million building boom". The Daily Telegraph, April 26: 9. 

Above is a newspaper article that was published in The Daily Telegraph in 1973 reporting on the skyscraper boom that was being experienced in North Sydney. It was claimed that the value of commercial properties in the North Sydney CBD had doubled in just six months to $800 million (equivalent to $8.5 billion in today's money according to the RBA Inflation Calculator). 

The photograph of the skyline was labelled with buildings either under construction or recently completed.

Recently, I decided to grab a photo of the skyline from Neutral Bay (Where the original photo was taken) as close as I could to where the original photograph was taken to provide a comparison photo to show the change over the past half-century. The "tall" buildings of 1973 are now dwarfed or even blocked while Northside Gardens (right) is currently being redeveloped into a luxury apartment complex.

Photo taken by the Author (2023).

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Catholic Club Office Tower (1988)

This is the last entry in our current series of  "Never Builts".

The Catholic Club sought to redevelop its Castlereagh Street site in the 1980s. In 1988, they teamed with Leda Ltd to design an 18-storey office tower to replace the five-storey building that had occupied the site since 1913. The Catholic Club would secure the first four levels of the building for their new premises, with the remaining levels to be leased as office space by Leda.

   

Peddle Thorp Walker were the architects. The 1913 building was demolished the following year. Like many projects planned at the end of the 1980s in central Sydney, it became a victim of the crash of the property market and recession in the early 1990s.

In 1993, Sydney City Council approved Victoria Towers, which was also proposed by Leda. The change of use from office to residential reflected the state of the Sydney CBD office market, along with changes to planning guidelines that encouraged Sydney CBD residential development.

Related Entry:

Filling the city's holes in the Ground: Victoria Towers (1996)

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Twin Tower Scheme for the MLC Centre Site, Martin Place (1971)

The MLC Centre has recently undergone a $170 million renovation of the 67 level tower and retail centre. 

Designed by Harry Seidler and completed in 1977, it was the tallest skyscraper in Sydney at 228 metres for a quarter of a century.along with being the tallest skyscraper in Australia from 1977 to 1985.

Plans for the site as we see it date from 1973, but one scheme from 1971 proposed two towers instead of one, 

Construction was proposed to be undertaken in two stages. State One would have seen contruction of the tower facing Martin Place with mid 1974 as the anticipated completion date. It was reported to have been thirty five storeys tall, but appears as being only 29 storeys tall. Stage two would see the construction of a 42 storey tower towards King Street.   

Source: Anon. 1971. "$70 Million Project". The Daily Telegraph, June 22: 3. 

Upon reflection, I am glad that this scheme for the MLC Centre did not proceed. I think one tower has worked well for the site but also providing public space in the podium has worked well. Martin Place in front of the MLC Centre has been traditionally the most active stretch of the space, enhanced by the performance space in front which allows for entertainment and other cultural activities to occur. 

1965: Construction of Australia Square Tower

Below is a photograph that was published in The Sydney Morning Herald on September 7 1965 (Page 17 for reference) showing the Australia Square Tower under construction in George Street. Construction was now above ground level.

   

It was anticipated that the 46 level tower would be completed in 1968, but was completed in 1967. Upon completion it was the tallest skyscraper in Australia at 170 metres tall. It was also the tallest lightweight concrete building built. 

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Chatswood's "Twin Towers" (1985)

Source: Anon. 1985. "Twin towers planned for Chatswood". The Sydney Morning Herald, October 10: 13. 

Welcome to Part Five in our current series of "never builts". In 1985, plans were released by Girvan to build a commercial development in airspace above the North Shore Rail Line at Chatswood. This encompasses land on either side of the rail line north of Help Street up to O'Brien Street and bounded by Railway Street (Western side) and Cambridge Lane (Eastern side).

It was planned that the towers would rise above the railway line and enable both sides of the Chatswood Central Business District to be connected.

Source: North, N. 1985.  "Chatswood Connections will be a place for people". The Northern Herald, December 12: 14.

Two office towers containing a combined 105 000 sq/m of space was proposed along with a hotel, retail space, landscaped plaza, convention centre and cinemas. The tall building heights would enable for maximum utilisation of the site for public use.

Revised plans were released in 1989. 

Source: Anon. 1989. "Five star hotel for North Shore". The Daily Telegraph, December 5: page unknown.

The following year, Girvan Corp Limited (Developer) went into receivership and the site was placed for sale. The towers would not be built. 

Between 2002 and 2013, Mirvac developed the vacant sites, including four towers and one medium density building. 

On the Railway Street side, three major apartment towers were built. A common area was built over the railway line for the residents of the buildings on either side. 

Altura (2003) - 25 stories/75 metres

Epica (2005) - 33 Stories/96 metres

Era (2013) - 43 stories/135 metres

On the Eastern side of the Railway line, Cambridge 24 stories/85 metres (2007) was built along with B2M in Cambridge Lane.

Above: Cambridge Tower.

Above: B2M

A pedestrian walkway was built to link both sides of the railway line which goes under the North Shore railway line. Public spaces were also provided. A small landscaped park is located between Era & Epica in Railway Street and a small plaza is located at the Corner of Cambridge Lane & Help Street.

Above: Railway Street Park.

Above: Public Plaza at the Corner of Cambridge Lane & Help Street.

This was a lost opportunity for Chatswood as the proposal would have been a destination in itself but also could have possibly attracted a major firm (especially today) in terms of leasing office space within the towers. It was a project that would have truely connected both sides of the suburb. The redevelopment of Chatswood Interchange in the 2010's has helped with linking both sides of the suburb but would not make the impact that could have possibly had occurred. 

Skyscraper Data featured in this entry was sourced from Emporis. Photos were taken by the Author in 2021. 

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Early Scheme for 2 Market Street (1984)

Welcome to Part four of our series of "Never Builts" in Sydney. In 1984, Sydney City Council approved a commercial development for a seven level carpark (2 levels below ground, five above ground) and eight levels of commercial space at 2 Market Street. The proposed tower occupies the site of the current Allianz Centre, completed in 1991. 

Allianz Tower comprises of 21 levels, but the early scheme only comprised of 13 levels. The offices were originally intended to be terraced. 

Architects were James Thiessen & Associates. 

Source: Anon. 1984. "$14m plan combines offices and parking". The Sydney Morning Herald, April 19: 20. 

This is a "never built" that did not deserve to be built. If built, the building would have aged quickly. The eventual building that rose on the site was designed by Crone Partners. The carpark is not as visible from the street even for the above ground levels and offers 40 000sq/m of office space. Major tenants include Allianz and Ampol. 

NEVER BUILT: Northbourne Central (1987)

Full Citation below.

In 1987, a development application was lodged with Sydney City Council for the Northbourne Central Development. It comprised of a 60 level office block on the site of the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel. This would have included 26 levels of hotel space with up to 400 rooms and a separate 10 storey office tower.

Source: Pelly, M. 1987. "Quay hotel plan to earn $3m per year".  The Daily Telegraph, March 12: 5.

The development was slated to have cost $1 billion to build or $2 billion in todays money to build. 

In July, the development application was rejected by Sydney City Council. Concerns were raised over the height of tower, shadowing of Macquarie Place, excess parking, traffic and wind.

Source: Anon. 1987. "Council report rejects $1bn Quay project". The Daily Telegraph, July 28: 16. 

The plan was an upsized version of the proposed Ramada Hotel Tower which was lodged in 1984.

Source: Glascott, J. 1984. "Diamonds on the skyline". The Sydney Morning Herald, May 22: 2. 

Ultimately the Ramada Hotel Tower (the original proposal) proceeded and was completed in 1988.

1998: AMEX Building Redevelopment

Photo taken by the Author (2021). 

The King George Tower (commonly known as the American Express Building) at the corner of George and King Street's was designed by John Andrews. The office building completed in 1976 rises to a height of 131 metres or 32 storeys. In 1983, it won the John Sulman medal.

It was an innovative building for its time, particularly for attempts to promote energy efficiency and facing the corner of two city streets.

Source: Totaro, P. 1996. "Tower branches out into $60m greenhouse". The Sydney Morning Herald, March 12: 5. 

Two decades later, building owners AMP Capital and Industry Superannuation Property Trust decided to upgrade the building to make it Sydney's first "bio-climatic" tower. The idea was to ensure that it remained innovative by incorporating new technologies to boost energy efficiency.

Gardens would be placed at various levels on the south west corner of the tower while innovative glazing would replace the polycarbonate sunshades. Both would work in tandem to control the temperatures inside the building.

Shops that were located underground were moved up to street level, reflecting the desire of Sydney City Council to boost street activity and improve the streetscape. 

Source: Susskind, A. 1998. "Architect sees prized tower turned into a 'joke'". The Sydney Morning Herald, April 16: 3. 

As the refurbishment neared completion in 1998, architect John Andrews expressed his dismay telling The Sydney Morning Herald that he tried to "avoid looking at it" and that Sydney City Council was "gutless" for approving it and allowing it to be "ruined".  However those associated with the refurbishment claimed that articles had been written about it and that there was an interest by university students and architectural firms for tours.

Current owners, Investa and Brookfield recently undertook another refurbishment of the tower. The podium was renovated and the gardens have disappeared. They have maintained the focus on energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. In addition a six level mixed retail and commercial annex was constructed. 

There will be those who will not agree with the renovations as some buildings are to be preserved in their original shape or form but modern skyscrapers do need the ability to evolve with the times and to respond to the needs of businesses that seek office space. 388 George Street also faces competition in attracting tenants to city towers, especially with the options available at Barangaroo and soon to be at Circular Quay. 388 George Street is a building that seeks to reflect current innovations and I see that as the years progress, it will be a building that adapts to the times.

Below are photos of the recently renovated podium taken by yours truely.

1975: The final demolition of the T&G Building

The final section of the T&G Building (1930) awaits demolition. Full citation below.

The T&G Building built in 1930 was located at the corner of Park and Elizabeth Street. The 12 storey building was 70 metres high to the top of its bell tower.

In 1972, plans were approved to demolish the building alongside every building located on the block bounded by Elizabeth, Park, Castlereagh and Bathurst Street.

By 1975, three quarters of the buildings had been demolished to accommodate 201 Elizabeth Street with the remaining section on the corner of Elizabeth and Park Street's still standing. There were calls for its preservation, but it still faced the wreckers ball.

Source: Owens, W. 1975. "Giant Meets His Match". The Sun Herald, October 12: 17.

And what did Sydney get in return for the demolition? A public square.

Around twenty years ago, the square was given a facelift. A Starbucks Cafe occupies the site. These photos were taken last week by yours truely.

There was scope to leave the remaining section of the building and integrate it into the development. It could have made a fantastic hotel or even be converted into apartments.

Finally, lets place the Park Street photos side by side for comparison.

Related: 1969: Original scheme for the T&G Tower (201 Elizabeth Street)

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Alternative scheme for the Westpac Place site (1999)

Source: Skelsey, M. "City block bulldozed for units". The Daily Telegraph, March 10: 5.

The block bounded by Kent, Erskine, Napoleon and Sussex Streets (KENS) is home to Westpac Place, which is regarded as one of Sydney's largest buildings in terms of office space (also in terms of space per floor).

Twenty years ago, there was a scheme for the site that involved the construction of three 80 metre apartment towers which caused tremendous controversy for Sydney City Council. The council refused to approve the scheme because the towers were too close to each other, but were willing to approve the scheme if one tower was removed.

Developer Multistar took this to the Land and Environment Court and won approval.

Even the tower we see today had its difficulties in gaining approval - bulk, height and wind tunnel concerns were problems, but construction began in 2003 and was officially opened in 2006.

Fast forward a decade and a half and the Barangaroo development makes the building appear small.

Source: Skelsey, M. 2001. CBD tower's glaring faults: Authority warns of problems. The Daily Telegraph, July 4: 14.

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.

1990: Feature on development in Parramatta

In 1990, The Sunday Telegraph published a feature on the boom in construction in Parramatta and its emergence as a business centre. It made reference to the "Dallas Style" skyscrapers that had popped up (towers with glass facades) during the 1980's. The focus on development was on commercial buildings and international hotels.

This boom does pale in comparison with the development of the past decade, but approach this article from an evolutionary viewpoint. The boom of the 1990's was one leap in moving Parramatta forward in the years to come. The buildings that were "tall" in the 1990's are now longer "tall" with the new towers up to twice the height either built or proposed.

Source: Walls, M. 1990. "Parramatta: a city on the make". The Sunday Telegraph, June 10: 48.

1990: The end of a skyscrapers life

Looking around central Sydney at present, one might notice that a number of major office buildings have disappeared including:

• Goldfields House
• Wales Bank Building (52 Martin Place)
• Sydney Water Building

Source: Dixon, A. & Lewis, D. 1990. "Already, Sydney's outgrown those early skyscrapers". The Sydney Morning Herald, December 31: 4.

Others like the AMP Centre at Circular Quay are being gutted and redeveloped into modern structures to accommodate the changing workspaces of the 21st century.

Some of the recent demolitions include buildings from the 1980s, particularly in George and Pitt Streets near Circular Quay.

People may question why some buildings have been pulled down after just twenty or thirty years of service.

It has come down to two factors just like today:

• Cost of rebuilding vs renovating
• Advancements in technology - older buildings may not be able to be reconfigured for changing technology.

Tenants today also want buildings with larger and more flexible floor plates which allow for space to easily be reorganised according to the needs of the tenant.

At the end of the day, buildings do have a life cycle just like us humans. They are bound to die at some point in the future.

Fortunately, buildings of historical significance like the AMP Building will always have their place in Sydney and for some, the prestige of being in such a building is merely enough for them. 

SERIES: The Evolution of the Citigroup Centre - Citigroup Tower & Galeries Victoria in 2018

This week will see a drift from what is normally posted. I would like to share some photos that I have taken in recent times of The Galeries (formerly Galeries Victoria) and Citigroup Centre as I reflect on the complex today.

Over the past two months, I have posted about the drama just to build on the site which lasted nearly two decades. It took eighteen years from the release of the first proposal before the site was developed.

Coincidently, it has been eighteen years since the complex was opened to the public.

What have the past eighteen years been for the complex?

As for the tower itself, it has been popular with commercial firms attracted by premium grade office space. As of October 31, 2018, only level 8 was vacant. It's just not the quality of the office space that attracts the tenants, but also the location. It is nearly right above Town Hall railway station with direct access to the station, and easy walk to Pitt Street Mall, Hyde Park and Darling Harbour.

The Galeries Victoria has become a popular shopping centre within the Sydney CBD. It may lack the history or prestige of the Queen Victoria Building and Strand Arcade, it has shone in its ability to innovate how people shop in central Sydney.

The Sydney Arcade introduced Sydneysiders to enclosed laneway shopping, but the Galeries Victoria provided multiple laneways that connects to a square in the centre of the complex. Apart from escalators and staircases, skybridges were also constructed to link shops in each section.

In the square itself, there is a full height atrium, which allows natural light to filter in, even in the shadows of nearby towers.

2 Park Street rises over the full height atrium of The Galeries. 

With the retailing offering itself, it has also been innovative focusing on lifestyle, fashion and dining. JB Hifi opened their first CBD store in the basement level over a decade ago. Since then another four JB-Hifi stores have opened in central Sydney.

It is the only CBD shopping centre that has a furniture store - Muji. Freedom Furniture traded for a number of years as well. There are also retailers trading in the centre that you may not find elsewhere e.g. Kinkoyounya.

Finally the former Sydney Mechanical School of Arts Building (1836) is home to the popular Arthouse Hotel which opened in 2001.

I wonder what the next eighteen years will bring.

Previous Entries in the Series

• Original 1982 Scheme
• Park Tower (1986)
• Skytower (1987)
• Park Plaza (1988)
• Park Plaza IV (1988)
• Park Tower (1990)
• Park Tower II (1994)
• Citigroup Centre (2000)

Update on Photo hosting Issues

As mentioned a fortnight ago, I have had to change the photo hosting location of images featured in this blog. Since then, all posts from 2014 have been checked and all images are available again for each entry. I am now working through posts from 2015.

SERIES: The Evolution of the Citigroup Centre - Citigroup Tower & Galeries Victoria (2000)

The Citigroup Centre. The photo was taken by the Author (2018).

Over the past few weeks, we have explored the evolution of the tower that we see at 2 Park Street today. We have covered over a decade and at least six or seven schemes. Now we have reached our final scheme - Citigroup Centre; the tower that we see today.

The Park Tower II proposal (1994) which I shared with you last week would set the parameters for the final design of the Citigroup Centre including height limits and the size of the building.

In 1996, Kumagai and Sogo unveiled new plans which were lodged with Sydney City Council. This one is quite similar to the 1994 scheme. The tower was 50 levels tall rising to a height of 243 metres (Tip of spire). The height to the roof is 206 metres.

There is only one spire in the postmodern design by Crone and Associates who despite the obstacles, still remained involved in the development.

Interest was high, most notably Citibank who wanted to consolidate their Sydney offices into the one building. At the time, they were based in Clarence Street.  NIKE was interested in the retail space, seeking to open a three-level department store.

Source: Anon. 1996. "Squabbles put skyscraper in doubt". The Daily Telegraph, December 20: 4.

Council Approved the scheme on December 19, 1996. However, Citibank wanted 350 parking spaces which was refused. Citibank threatened to withdraw their interest if the spaces were not approved.

Source: Totaro, P. 1996. "Japanese giants to fill city crater". The Sydney Morning Herald, December 20: 4. 

By August 1997,  Ipoh (owners of the Queen Victoria Building) had purchased the $120 million retail component and Multiplex had been awarded the rights to construct the tower. MTM Funds Management and Bankers Trust would also team up to fund construction.

Sydney City Council had also been offering incentives to start construction on empty construction sites.

Source: Totaro, P. 1997. "Millions up for grabs in bid to rid city of craters before Games". The Sydney Morning Herald, September 25: 6.

By the start of 1998, the pieces were in place to construct the tower which was estimated to cost $600 million and be the largest office building built in Sydney since Grosvenor Place a decade before.

Source: Bourlioufas, N. "New plan for gaping city building site". The Sydney Morning Herald, January 21: 5.

In May, funding had been secured for the tower, which was estimated to cost $600 million to build. Citibank had also confirmed that it would act as the anchor tenant.

Source: Hughes, A. 1998. "Green light for $600 million Park Plaza complex. The Sydney Morning Herald, May 2: 102.

Construction commenced in May 1998 and was completed in July 2000. Galeries Victoria opened in late 2000. Below are a few photos from the ArchivePix Image Library at Sydney City Council

"Early" 1999

Source: Cole, T. 1999. Construction of Citibank Centre. Photograph. Accessed October 18, 2018,  http://photosau.com.au/coslib/jpeg/017/017649.jpg


March 1999

Source: Cole, T. 1999. Construction of the Citibank Centre building. Photograph. Accessed October 18, 2018, http://photosau.com.au/coslib/jpeg/017/017124A.jpg

April 1999

Source: Cole, T. 1999. Citibank Centre building under construction. Photograph. Accessed October 18, 2018, http://photosau.com.au/coslib/jpeg/017/017150.jpg

The official opening was on August 30, 2000, conducted by the Lord Mayor - Frank Sartor.

Source: Anon. 2000. Column 8. The Sydney Morning Herald, August 30: 24. 

However, the public was allowed to access the Galeries Victoria retail complex, which was opened on July 30, 2000, as part of Open City. I recall going there and taking a look.

Source: O'Brien, G. 2000. 'City uncovers more of its elegant Victorian past'. The Sydney Morning Herald, July 29: 11.

The development of the site included a full restoration of the Sydney Mechanic School of Arts Building in Pitt Street, which is now the Arthouse Hotel.

Several years ago, The Galeries Victoria was renamed as The Galeries.

Next week, we look at the impact that the Citigroup Centre and The Galeries have had on Sydney since completion. The following week, we will answer the What if? question as to what might had it been if any of the rejected schemes became reality.

Previous Schemes

• Original 1982 Scheme
• Park Tower (1986)
• Skytower (1987)
• Park Plaza (1988)
• Park Plaza IV (1988)
• Park Tower (1990)
• Park Tower II (1994)