| 1 Treasury Place | |
|---|---|
| 1 treasury place melbourne.jpg | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Internationalist style |
| Location | 1 Treasury Place Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Barry Patten |
1 Treasury Place (also known as the State Government Office) 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.[1]
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).
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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 Building. 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.[2]
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.[3]
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. [4]
Detectives will investigate whether the packages delivered to 1 Treasury Place and the Exhibition Street offices had any political links.[5]