ICI House
Encyclopedia
ICI House is a 20-storey office building in East Melbourne, Victoria
, Australia
. It was the tallest building in Australia upon completion in 1958, and the first to break Melbourne's long standing height limit. It was one of the earliest fully glazed commercial skyscrapers in Australia. The move from low to high-rise office buildings changed the profile, shape and landscape of Australia's major urban centres forever. It symbolised progress, modernity, efficiency and corporate power in postwar Melbourne and was being constructed at the time of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics
when the city was being showcased on the world stage.
ICI House was at the forefront of the high-rise boom in Australia's cities in the second half of the Twentieth Century. The building's design, by Sir Osborne McCutcheon (of Bates Smart McCutcheon
) followed the international trend for multi-storey buildings which was being pioneered in the United States
with the United Nations headquarters
.
Built between 1955 and 1958 ICI Building was one of 22 major new multi-storey office buildings which sprang up in Melbourne in the second half of the 1950s. Its 19 storeys broke through the previous legal limit of 11 to 12 storeys, resulting in Melbourne becoming the first Australian city to change its height limits.
In earlier times, most Australian office buildings occupied their entire blocks. However, Plot ratio
urban planning resulted in the modern free-standing high-rise and its surrounding landscaped gardens and car park introduced the idea of creating a balance between a building's height and public amenities.
The building made headlines for many years after initial construction as panes of glass frequently fell to the street below.
It is one of the few post-war office buildings to be found on the Victorian Heritage Register
.
East Melbourne, Victoria
East Melbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, adjacent to Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, East Melbourne had a population of 4,330....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was the tallest building in Australia upon completion in 1958, and the first to break Melbourne's long standing height limit. It was one of the earliest fully glazed commercial skyscrapers in Australia. The move from low to high-rise office buildings changed the profile, shape and landscape of Australia's major urban centres forever. It symbolised progress, modernity, efficiency and corporate power in postwar Melbourne and was being constructed at the time of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
when the city was being showcased on the world stage.
ICI House was at the forefront of the high-rise boom in Australia's cities in the second half of the Twentieth Century. The building's design, by Sir Osborne McCutcheon (of Bates Smart McCutcheon
Bates Smart
Bates Smart is Australia's second oldest architectural firm, established in 1853 by Joseph Reed as the practice Reed and Barnes. JPE Design Studio in Adelaide founded in 1851 by Daniel Garlick is the oldest continuing architectural practice in Australia....
) followed the international trend for multi-storey buildings which was being pioneered in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with the United Nations headquarters
United Nations headquarters
The headquarters of the United Nations is a complex in New York City. The complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1952. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, on spacious grounds overlooking the East River...
.
Built between 1955 and 1958 ICI Building was one of 22 major new multi-storey office buildings which sprang up in Melbourne in the second half of the 1950s. Its 19 storeys broke through the previous legal limit of 11 to 12 storeys, resulting in Melbourne becoming the first Australian city to change its height limits.
In earlier times, most Australian office buildings occupied their entire blocks. However, Plot ratio
Floor Area Ratio
The floor area ratio or floor space index is the ratio of the total floor area of buildings on a certain location to the size of the land of that location, or the limit imposed on such a ratio....
urban planning resulted in the modern free-standing high-rise and its surrounding landscaped gardens and car park introduced the idea of creating a balance between a building's height and public amenities.
The building made headlines for many years after initial construction as panes of glass frequently fell to the street below.
It is one of the few post-war office buildings to be found on the Victorian Heritage Register
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...
.