1 Treasury Place
Encyclopedia
1 Treasury Place is a government building in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
that was built in the '60s and comprises five levels of office accommodation. The building was designed by architect Barry Patten
according to the internationalist style
of architecture.
The building is home to the Victorian Government Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) and Department of Treasury and Finance
(DTF). The building is also home to the office of the Secretary of DTF (currently Grant Hehir), the office of the Premier of Victoria (currently Ted Baillieu
), and the office of the Treasurer of Victoria
(currently Kim Wells
).
. In 1962 an architectural competition was held, with 12 firms experienced in office building invited to submit design plans for this section of Treasury Reserve. The guidelines for the competition outlined the government’s wish for a building or buildings that would express ‘soaring wonderment’. Yuncken Freeman Architects entered the competition, but felt that a tower-like construction would destroy Melbourne’s best vista looking eastward from the top of Collins Street. Barry Patten’s design, from Yuncken Freeman Architects was initially rejected as it didn’t address the specifications, but was eventually selected and included two infill buildings of similar scale to the Old Treasury building and 2 Treasury Place, with the taller building to face Macarthur Street.
Initially known as the State Public Offices, 1 Treasury Place is architecturally important as a unique modernist ‘urban ensemble’. The design is uncompromisingly modern and severe, yet was designed to fit in with the surrounding historic buildings. The masonry construction, small classically proportioned window openings and location of the tower to one side (1 Macarthur Street) of the Old Treasury was an unusually sensitive response to the urban context. All three buildings are important for their innovative use of pre-cast paneling incorporated as load bearing elements.
The construction of the three buildings was completed by 1970, with the intention of housing the Department of Premier, the Premier’s Office, the Cabinet Room and other Government offices.
In 1970, this building was ‘Building of the Year’, awarded by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, and Yuncken Freeman Architects was one of the most highly regarded firms of their time.
Firemen donned protective suits before inspecting the suspicious items this morning, but after careful analysis the contents of both packages were not found to be harmful.
On the same day, suspicious package were also sent to 121 Exhibition Street where the government's justice and transport departments are located.
All workers from the office buildings were let back in about 1pm. One person came into contact with the suspicious package while three others were in the mail room at the time. Paramedics assessed four people at the scene but said they did not require medical treatment.
Detectives will investigate whether the packages delivered to 1 Treasury Place and the Exhibition Street offices had any political links.
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...
that was built in the '60s and comprises five levels of office accommodation. The building was designed by architect Barry Patten
Barry Patten
Barry Beauchamp Patten was an Australian architect and Olympic alpine skier.He was born in McKinnon, Victoria....
according to the internationalist style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
of architecture.
The building is home to the Victorian Government Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) and Department of Treasury and Finance
Department of Treasury and Finance
In the Australian state of Victoria, the Department of Treasury and Finance , also often informally referred to as The Treasury, is a government department within the Victorian Government that plays a leading role in economic, financial and resource management to support the government in...
(DTF). The building is also home to the office of the Secretary of DTF (currently Grant Hehir), the office of the Premier of Victoria (currently Ted Baillieu
Ted Baillieu
Edward Norman "Ted" Baillieu MLA is an Australian politician. He is currently the Premier of Victoria and the member for the Legislative Assembly seat of Hawthorn...
), and the office of the Treasurer of Victoria
Treasurer of Victoria
The Treasurer of Victoria is the title held by the Cabinet Minister who is responsible for the financial management of Victoria’s budget sector. This primarily includes:* preparation and delivery of the annual State Budget;...
(currently Kim Wells
Kim Wells
Kimberley Arthur "Kim" Wells is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1992, representing first Wantirna and then Scoresby. Wells has been the Treasurer of Victoria since December 2010.Wells was born in Leongatha, Victoria, and attended...
).
History
Prior to the construction of 1 Treasury Place, the land was a paddock that was used by a caretaker who lived in the Old Treasury BuildingOld Treasury Building, Melbourne
The Old Treasury Building on Spring Street in Melbourne, was once home to the Treasury Department of the Government of Victoria, but is now a museum of Melbourne history, known as the Old Treasury Building.-History:...
. In 1962 an architectural competition was held, with 12 firms experienced in office building invited to submit design plans for this section of Treasury Reserve. The guidelines for the competition outlined the government’s wish for a building or buildings that would express ‘soaring wonderment’. Yuncken Freeman Architects entered the competition, but felt that a tower-like construction would destroy Melbourne’s best vista looking eastward from the top of Collins Street. Barry Patten’s design, from Yuncken Freeman Architects was initially rejected as it didn’t address the specifications, but was eventually selected and included two infill buildings of similar scale to the Old Treasury building and 2 Treasury Place, with the taller building to face Macarthur Street.
Initially known as the State Public Offices, 1 Treasury Place is architecturally important as a unique modernist ‘urban ensemble’. The design is uncompromisingly modern and severe, yet was designed to fit in with the surrounding historic buildings. The masonry construction, small classically proportioned window openings and location of the tower to one side (1 Macarthur Street) of the Old Treasury was an unusually sensitive response to the urban context. All three buildings are important for their innovative use of pre-cast paneling incorporated as load bearing elements.
The construction of the three buildings was completed by 1970, with the intention of housing the Department of Premier, the Premier’s Office, the Cabinet Room and other Government offices.
In 1970, this building was ‘Building of the Year’, awarded by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, and Yuncken Freeman Architects was one of the most highly regarded firms of their time.
White Powder Hoax
On 28 November 2010, hundreds of staff from within 1 Treasury Place and 1 Macarthur Street were evacuated from the buildings due to the discovery in the 1 Treasury Place mail room of a suspicious package that contained white powder.Firemen donned protective suits before inspecting the suspicious items this morning, but after careful analysis the contents of both packages were not found to be harmful.
On the same day, suspicious package were also sent to 121 Exhibition Street where the government's justice and transport departments are located.
All workers from the office buildings were let back in about 1pm. One person came into contact with the suspicious package while three others were in the mail room at the time. Paramedics assessed four people at the scene but said they did not require medical treatment.
Detectives will investigate whether the packages delivered to 1 Treasury Place and the Exhibition Street offices had any political links.