Evelyn Reynolds

The Victorian planning minister Richard Wynne has taken the fate of Melbourne’s heritage-listed Shell House, designed by the late Harry Seilder, into his own hands after calling in a development application to constructed a new tower on the site of the existing northern plaza.
The proposed 33-storey tower designed by Ingehoven and Architectus would be taller than the existing Shell House and would require the partial demolition of the building.
Heritage Victoria refused the permit application in August 2021. The executive director of Heritage Victoria, Steven Avery said the demolition of the northern plaza “would permanently and irreversibly demolish original fabric and spaces, and would significantly diminish the legibility of Harry Seidler’s original concept and design of the place.”
The proposed tower “would dominate the north section of the place and almost entirely block views to the north elevation of the tower,” continued Avery, who considered the proposal to be “an overdevelopment of the heritage place.”
In September, the proponents requested a review of the executive director’s determinations. The minister informed Heritage Council of Victoria he would call in the application on 11 November and, as such, a scheduled Heritage Council hearing to review the determination has been cancelled.

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A proposed second tower on the site of 1 Spring Street designed by Ingenhoven and Architectus.

The Australian Institute of Architects Victorian chapter took the unusual step to make an objection to the application, when it was advertised earlier in 2021, warning the construction of “a second tower on the site “would result in irreversible damage to a significant heritage place that actually helps define the high quality environment of Melbourne.”
The National Trust also objected to the application. “It would have an adverse and irreversible impact on the heritage significance of the place, and … this impact is not justified by the case for reasonable or economic use,” said Felicity Watson, the National Trust’s executive manager, advocacy.
Shell House was completed in 1989 and won the 1991 RAIA National Award for Commercial Architecture as well as a state award. It was added to the Victorian Heritage Register in 2017.

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A proposed second tower on the site of 1 Spring Street designed by Ingenhoven and Architectus.

The proponents for the second tower claim that the site is “underdeveloped” and that a new tower is appropriate. However, the Institute argued that “The site is purposefully designed to have a tower sitting amongst two plazas, it does not consider an additional tower and was not envisaged as an underdevelopment of the site, rather it was considered as an appropriate development of all of the site in a holistic vision.”
The application also calls for demolition of a conference centre and theatrette on the lower floors. “The demolition of the theatrette, and other key workplace support spaces to the base of this building is a significant loss to the building’s design vision,” the Institute said. “The theatrette is beautifully designed space that reinforces the design of the approach of the building. It also has a number of signature Seidler design elements such as the curvaceous battened ceiling that link it to other Seidler theatre/auditorium projects of this period.”

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A proposed second tower on the site of 1 Spring Street designed by Ingenhoven and Architectus.

“The new tower will result in the loss of the urban public plaza open to the sky, the loss of the reading of the sinuous geometric form and expressed stairs from the Street, the loss of the theatrette for both private and public use and, critically, the loss of the original design intent.”
The design of the proposed tower has been endorsed by a number of experts, including Greg Holman from Harry Seidler and Associates, architectural historian Philip Goad, and the Victorian Government Architect Design Review Panel.
However, the Institute and the National Trust both argue in separate submissions that support for the current design proposal is “irrelevant.”
“We believe that the correct question to be asked is not how the redevelopment should proceed, but whether it should proceed, with respect to the heritage values of the place, as protected under the Heritage Act 2017,” the National Trust said. “With due respect to the experts that have been consulted as part of this application, including the office of Harry Seidler and Associates, this commentary is therefore of limited value in relation to the fundamental question of whether the development is appropriate.”
The Institute said, “It is the Australian Institute of Architects’ opinion that, irrespective of the quality of the design outcome being proposed, no significant modification to this heritage listed project is appropriate.”
Victorian planning minister Richard Wynne told The Age, “Calling in the application means the heritage permit and development applications can be considered in tandem in a single forum. The Heritage Council will provide a report on the amended application that will inform the decision.” More

HVG has acquired the business of Wilsonart Australia from AICA Kogyo Co Ltd. Wilsonart Australia manufactures low-pressure melamine (LPM) panels and cabinet doors and is located in Somerton, Victoria.
HVG CEO Bruce Rayment said, “We are excited by the growth potential of the business and the opportunities that this vertical integration opens up for us. Wilsonart/AICA have been a partner since 2012, and we look forward to working together, maximizing sales of their brands in the Australian and New Zealand markets into the future. All of the existing staff are being retained and there are opportunities for them to grow in the wider HVG business. For our existing customers, and those that have been dealing directly with Wilsonart Australia, we look forward to continuing to serve them with an expanding product range in the years ahead.”
The current Wilsonart Australia CEO Andrew Janka said, “We could not have found a better business to take over Wilsonart Australia than our long-term Australian partner HVG. They have demonstrated a long-term commitment to the brand in Australia, and they are the right people to drive the business forward into the future.”
The acquisition is expected to be completed before the Christmas break, after which existing direct customers of Wilsonart Australia will be serviced by an expanded HVG Building Pty Ltd sales and specification team.
“The acquisition of Wilsonart Australia is a clear and positive next step in the growth of the Wilsonart Brands and the wider HVG business. This move will ensure stability in supply, improved quality and lead times and a better focused range offer in the products that are manufactured in Australia. It will also ensure that the LPM manufactured by HVG Manufacturing in the future will be from a fully Australian owned company,” Mr Rayment said.
The HVG group of companies are privately owned Australian businesses that import and distribute building facade products, engineered stone, melamine panels, cabinet doors, graphics media, performance fabrics, and decorative building products. HVG distributes across multiple sectors, including residential, commercial and industrial construction, caravan manufacturing, agriculture, print, exhibition and display industries.
HVG Decorative Building Products More

James Hardie has partnered with Nathanael Preston and Daniel Lane of Preston Lane Architects on a conceptual collaboration that explores possibilities for an Edwardian single-fronted, two-storey terrace addition – Zig-Zag House in inner-city Melbourne – using Hardie Fine Texture Cladding and the supporting range of corner and junction accessories. “The experimental nature of this collaboration […] More

To mark their 160th birthday, TON has released the publication +- 160 Years, a creative culmination of TON’s history that documents the early innovation, design journey, materials and iconic products of the brand’s current and historic offerings. Melding heritage and innovation, TON creates heirloom pieces that can be traded down through generations. TON furniture is […] More

Adelaide has been named the world’s second National Park City, after London, at the World Urban Park Congress.
Bestowed by the UK-based National Park City Foundation, the designation is not meant as an award but “the beginning of a journey” towards creating “greener, healthier, wilder and fairer places to live.”
The idea is to transplant some of the principles associated with official national parks onto the city, to value cities as important centres of biodiversity, natural heritage and recreation in their own right.
South Australia’s environment minister David Speirs said Adelaide becoming a National Park City would bring a range of benefits.
“Adelaide National Park City status isn’t just another title for our city, it is a trigger to promote and connect people with on-ground action to look after our environment for everyone’s health and wellbeing as well as boost our economy through increased tourism,” he said.
“Over the next few years, through our urban environmental board Green Adelaide, you’ll see some real on-ground action towards the Adelaide National Park City movement to create a cooler, greener and wilder city.
“This includes $5 million to green our CBD streets and places, $5 million to re-wild the River Torrens, and millions of dollars in grants to enable the community and councils to deliver climate resilient projects on-ground.
“Plus, the delivery of iconic rewilding projects like bringing platypus back to the Torrens, creating a more butterfly friendly city, and enhancing habitat and awareness about our city’s birds of prey.”
Adelaide’s push to become a National Park City was led by the government body Green Adelaide. The bid was based on the proposed greening measures, as well as Adelaide’s already impressive parklands, which cover 30 percent of the city and support around 1,080 native plant species, 281 native species of birds, 60 native fish species and 47 native mammal species, along with 58 species of reptiles.
Green Adelaide board presiding member Chris Daniels said, “This milestone for our city follows National Geographic recently naming Adelaide as the sixth most sustainable city in the world thanks to the green movement, and the years of effort by volunteers, government and organizations to look after our nature, which boosted our city’s credentials in our application.” More

A 10-storey timber-framed office building proposed for a CBD site in Perth has been recommended for approval. Designed by local firm Donaldson Boshard, the building will be built at 78-90 Mounts Bay Road, north of the state heritage-listed Bishop’s House, a two-storey Victorian Georgian-style residence built in 1859 for WA’s first Anglican bishop. The proponent […] More

Cottee Parker has designed a 16-storey tower for 63–67 McLachlan Street in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane with “an abundance of tree and plant life” grafted onto it. Dubbed The Olive Branch, the tower includes 12 levels of office space, a wellness centre, and a rooftop restaurant. A terracotta breeze block screens the wellness space on the […] More

The Tasmanian chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects has announced Stuart Tanner has been elected chapter president. Tanner is director of Tanner Architects, based in Hobart. He will assume the role from for the remainder of the 2021-2022 term from Craig Rosevear, who was elected chapter president in February 2021. Tanner will also be […] More