Wonder what stories these walls of Building 1 could tell if they could talk? This is not just another government office complex in Melbourne. It is 1 Treasury Place. It stands as a testament to architectural vision. It embodies the spirit of a city constantly evolving.
1 Treasury Place is the official location of the Premier of Victoria and vital government departments. It reflects the enduring influence of the internationalist style. Barry Patten from Yuncken Freeman Architects Pty Ltd designed it. The mid-1960s saw its construction.
Before Building 1 rose, this land was a simple paddock. A caretaker was its only resident. An architectural competition changed everything. The aim was to design government-owned buildings within the Treasury precinct.
For over 150 years, the Treasury Precinct has been central to Victoria’s government. Buildings like the Government Printer’s Office and the Old Treasury Building stood here. They predate the separation of government departments. Building 1 and its contemporaries from Yuncken Freeman Architects showcase this history.
1 Treasury Place is known as the State Public Offices. It exemplifies the internationalist architectural style common in the area. Barry Patten and others from Yuncken Freeman contributed significantly to this style. During its construction, two more buildings were also underway on the same site.
These buildings shared the same facade as 1 Treasury Place. Yuncken Freeman Architects designed them in response to the architectural competition. One building was behind the Old Treasury Building. It accommodated the premier and other ministers. Another building was east of 1 Treasury Place. It housed the State Chemical Laboratories. All three buildings fulfilled the competition’s outlined brief.
The State government offices are strictly modernist buildings. They express soaring wonderment as the 1962 competition guidelines requested. Building 1 has a rectangular and horizontal form. A centralized square tower sits in the center. Walkways connect the tower to the building’s outer shell.
Off-grey precast concrete walls create a repeating grid facade. Tall precast panels and chamfered rectangular window cutouts form this grid. The window formation closely resembles the Old Treasury Building’s windows. Repeating square concrete columns support the entire building. A taller rectilinear building of the same style connects via a walkway. This ensemble of structures creates a monument.
In 1962, the government held an architectural competition. Twelve firms submitted plans. A key requirement was to showcase buildings with soaring wonderment. Barry Patten’s winning proposal differed significantly. It rejected a tower-like construction. This minimized the impact on views from Collins Street. It included two infill buildings similar in scale to the Old Treasury Building and 2 Treasury Place. The taller building faces Macarthur Street.
Originally, the State Public Offices are architecturally significant. They represent a unique modernist urban ensemble. This ensemble features high modernist concrete buildings. It emphasizes their grid structure. A treed walkway softens the coordinated arrangement of contrasting scales. Despite their severity, they relate well to the formal classicism of the adjoining 19th-century building. Their rigid contemporary and austere design contrasts with the surrounding buildings.
The building’s exterior uses masonry. Small classically proportioned window openings mark the facade. The tower’s location is on one side of the Old Treasury Building. This shows a sensitive response to the urban context. The buildings innovatively use pre-cast panelling as load-bearing elements. The urban context influenced these three buildings. They somewhat continue the existing buildings’ design approach. The functions of the buildings are still performed today. The buildings house the Department of Premier and Cabinet. They also house the Department of Treasury and Finance. Ministerial officers of the Premier, Deputy Premier, and Treasurer are here too.
In 1970, 1 Treasury Place received the Building of the Year award. The Royal Australian Institute of Architects presented it. Yuncken Freeman Architects was a highly regarded firm at the time.
As you leave 1 Treasury Place, consider its layers of history. The architectural vision shaped Melbourne’s urban landscape. The government’s enduring presence has defined Victoria’s administration.