| Southern Cross Tower | |
|---|---|
| Southern cross tower.jpg East Tower (SX1) in June 2009 |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Location | 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Coordinates | |
| Completed | 2004 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 161 m (528 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 39 |
Southern Cross Tower, also known as 121 Exhibition Street, is a 161-metre (530 ft) skyscraper in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tower was built in 2004 and comprises 39 levels of office accommodation. The complex is a twin tower. The SX1 (or East tower) delivers 76,700 square meters of space over 39 floors. The SX2 (or West Tower) provides 45,200 square metres and 22 levels. The tower was once the location of Melbourne’s prestigious Southern Cross Hotel.[1]
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Before development of Southern Cross, the Victorian Government was concerned because its key departments were scattered among more than 15 office buildings throughout the Melbourne CBD. It decided to consolidate financially and allow the bureaucracy closer access to Spring Street, giving it access to the Parliament and Treasury. A consortium of private bodies, including Multiplex and Babcock and Brown, suggested a skyscraper in the location of the old and derelict Southern Cross Hotel. A key condition of the Victorian government's involvement in the project was its demand that the building be a state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable development.[2]
The building is 75 per cent owned by Multiplex Property Trust and 25 per cent owned by Multiplex Acumen Prime Property Fund. According to valuer Jones Lang Lasalle, the building's current market value is A$130 million and its major tenant is the Victorian State Government.[3][4]
SX1 (East Tower) is home to the Victorian Government Department of Justice (DOJ); Department of Transport (DOT); Department of Industry, Innovation, and Regional Development (DIIRD); and State Revenue Office.[5]
The office of Minister for Finance Tim Holding is located in SX1.[6]
SX2 (West Tower) is home to Australia Post, EWOV and AHPRA.[7]
Southern Cross Tower has been criticized for tight security and excessive use of straight lines in its design.[8]