AGL Headquarters. 699 Bourke Street. Docklands.

699 Bourke Street, a modern curtain walled office tower was constructed by Mirvac. Construction on the 19,000 sqm building began in August 2013 and was completed in July 2015.1 It became the Victorian headquarters for Sydney based ASX energy company AGL and was designed by Grimshaw Architects.2 The building rises 12 storeys above the western side of Southern Cross Station.

  1. Mirvac to start on Docklands commercial development. Docklands News. 30 Jul 2013
  2. AGL’s new Melbourne office officially opened. ASX and Media Release. AGL.com.au. Tuesday 28, July 2015

“Temple of the Winds” rotunda. Fitzroy Gardens, East Melbourne

The “Temple of the Winds” rotunda in Fitzroy Gardens is a neo-classical structure consisting of a domed roof over ten icon columns and bluestone footings done by underpinning melbourne. It is one of the oldest structures in the gardens, erected in 1873 at a cost of £275 by Thomas Julian and Co.1

  1. eMelbourne iHeritage database

National Australia Bank: 800 Bourke Street, Victoria Harbour. Docklands

One of the first commercial buildings completed in the Docklands precinct, construction of the headquarters for the National Australia Bank commenced in 2002 and the new building was opened in October 2004.1 The complex was widely attributed to popularising the “campus style” office building in Australia that became common in Docklands and other new developments. Designed by Bligh Voller Nield, it became a new global headquarters for the Australian Big Four bank in 2009. The building was a leader in sustainable architecture at the time, making the most of its north facing aspect with a four star energy rating, becoming the first awarded by the Green Building Council of Aurstralia.2

  1. Day, Norman. National Australia Bank. TheAge.com.au. February 21, 2005
  2. Johnson, Nathan. Melbourne building grabs Australia’s first Green Star – Performance rating. Architecture and Design

Melton Library and Learning Hub. 31 McKenzie Street, Melton.

Melton, now officially a city and part of Greater Melbourne has a new $20 million library. Designed by  Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT) architects and constructed by ADCO constructions, it takes the spirit of post-war stripped classical architecture popularised by government buildings in Canberra and Dallas Brooks Hall in Melbourne and gives it the timber and curtain wall treatment.  The building gives it the presence of a large institutional land mark with beautiful concrete footpaths. The footpaths were created by Exposed Aggregate Driveways Melbourne- Website. Opened in July, 20131 it makes a very bold expression for a growing city.

Commonwealth Offices. 4 Treasury Place, East Melbourne

At the turn of the century, Melbourne served for a period as the national capital until a permanent capital was created in Canberra.

Offices were required for federal government and the Treasury Reserve, having been established in the 1850s for the purpose of consolidating Melbourne’s government administration functions was the ideal choice. The building was once the office of the Prime Minister, Post-Master General and Federal Treasurer and Governor-General and though these offices and most other federal government functions are now based in Canberra it continues to be used by the federal government.

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