Bates Smart to refurbish Melbourne’s 1928 T&G building

Bates Smart’s design for the refurbishment of Melbourne’s 1928 T&G building at the “Paris end” of Collins Street has been revealed.

Renovations of the National Trust-listed building include a new dual entrance, which will give occupiers the option of using the original entry on Collins Street or the newly pedestrianized laneway, Ramsden Place, which connects to Flinders Lane. The builidng’s 10 storeys of commercial space will be renovated and new retail spaces will be added to the ground floor.

The building, located at 161 Collins Street, was initially built as the offices of the Temperance and General Life Assurance Society, founded in 1876 during the interwar period. The insurance company constructed a number of buildings across Australia and New Zealand.

It was constructed over three stages by architectural practice A & K Henderson and was developed into one of the most prominent interwar buildings in Melbourne, with the first stage being completed in 1928.

In 1990 the building was extended by Metier3 Architects, doubling the site area to 4,000 square metres. The heritage facades were retained and a new postmodern infill building for KPMG was added, while the insurance hall was internally demolished and reconstructed.

The original T&G building by A & K Henderson during the 1930s.

The original T&G building by A & K Henderson during the 1930s.

The building’s owner, property group Pembroke Real Estate, engaged Bates Smart to revitalize the T&G building using the existing built work to create “a holistic experience that was benefitting of the building’s proud history and location, in order to achieve a highly sought-after retail and work space.”

The laneway culture that Melbourne is now known for was not established until 1990, said Tim Leslie, studio director of Bates Smart in Melbourne. Until the 1990s laneways were seen as functional spaces used to provide back-of-house servicing to signature buildings fronting the main streets of the city.

“As a result, the T&G building was uniquely located in the heart of Melbourne’s most prestigious street, commanding incredibly generous floor plates, however the building had become disconnected from its urban context – shutting itself down where it should be opening up,” Leslie said.

The first element of focus for Bates Smart was therefore to untangle the traffic flows through the site for both pedestrians and vehicles. The current Flinders Lane frontage is dominated by a large carpark entry, which will be relocated to Russell Street, adjacent to the current car exit ramp. This will allow for a pedestrian entry that leads to Hosier Lane and Federation Square beyond.

The laneway of the T&G building refurbishment by Bates Smart.

The laneway of the T&G building refurbishment by Bates Smart.

Image: Bates Smart

The heart of the project is the atrium. The existing 1990 design involves a sealed glass curtain wall that has a green colour due to its high iron content. Bates Smart will redefine the experience of the atrium by developing an adaptable terrace space and a customized low-iron glazing system, which lets tenants adapt their workspaces with ease.

Lighting will play a critical role in creating atmosphere and the building’s heritage-protected facade will be enhanced with feature lighting to draw attention to the revitalization of the site.

“Internally we have provide a mix of different experiences, focusing on scale and atmosphere, to create a workplace and urban setting. Ramsden Place has been re-established as a pedestrian laneway, with the adjacent heritage building providing retail and street activation independent of the office building operating hours,” Leslie said.

The original T&G building by A & K Henderson during the 1930s.

The original T&G building by A & K Henderson during the 1930s.

The building was voted “Melbourne’s most beautiful building” in a competition held by the Herald newspaper in 1930. In 1939 the building’s Collins Street site frontage was doubled, before being extended down the length of an entire city block – from Collins Street to Flinders Lane – in 1959. The 1990 addition by Metier3 for KPMG was the most recent alteration. All that remains from the interwar period is the entry foyer, which has a Napier Waller mural.

The Bates Smart refurbishment is expected to start in the first quarter of 2017 and be completed by 2018.

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