State Electricity Commission Buildings, later Monash House (reclad 2003) and Prometheus mosaic, 15-33 William Street & 429-451 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Total copies: 1
Title:
State Electricity Commission Buildings, later Monash House (reclad 2003) and Prometheus mosaic, 15-33 William Street & 429-451 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 110091
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
Part of:
Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
Access restrictions:
UnrestrictedOpen access.
Use restrictions:
UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
General notes:
RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2023:__________________________________________________Construction date: 1963-1968Architects: Meldrum & Partners; Peddle Thorp 2003 refacingMosaic: Prometheus by Mervyn Napier Waller_________________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites RAIA 20th C. Architecture Register that cites Neville Quarry (ed), building ideas (monthly): 11_______________________________________CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONSlistings for previous buildings, SEC did not need a permit?_______________________________________realcommercial web site 2020https://www.realcommercial.com.au/for-lease/property-15-william-street-melbourne-vic-3000-500911315`15 William Street is a 20 story office building which in 2003 went through a comprehensive redevelopment worth in excess of $100 million. This redevelopment included significant upgrades to building services elevating these to Premium grade standard, plus additional car parking on Flinders Street. In 2006, four levels were added to the Flinders Street extension for use as a Child Care Centre plus additional car parking. In 2015, a first class new end-of-trip facility opened in the basement of the building.The hotel style ground floor lobby offers occupants and visitors a classic, modern and comfortable feel, with various casual meeting spaces.'_______________________________________City of Melbourne Maps 202015W(Former Monash House):A twenty storey concrete office building with ground level retail and basement parking. Consists of a southern section built in 1967 and the rear section built in 1974. The building was refurbished in 2003 to a design by Peddle Thorp. A four storey extension on the Flinders Street site was built in 2006._______________________________________CONTEXT (WITH GJM HERITAGE) 2020, HODDLE GRID HERITAGE REVIEW129. 15W (Former Monash House) / 15-33 William Street / 110091 Identified in previous heritage review (Central Activities District Conservation Study, 1985, Central City Heritage Review, 1993);Date of ConstructionExplanation for exclusionA 20 storey office built 1967 and 1974 and refurbished in 2003 by Peddle Thorp including a four-storey extension in 2006. It is of some interest for its relatively intact plaza.Explanation for exclusion:Building substantially altered.Low integrity.There are better and earlier examples._______________________________________STOREY, 2019: HODDLE GRID INTERIORS THEMATIC STUDY (DRAFT) : MAY 2019“Prometheus”Mosaic, Napier WallerLobby, Monash House, 15 William Street1967No Heritage OverlayClassified by the National Trust at the Regional level.History + DescriptionMonash House was built by the State Electricity Commission as its head office, completed in 1967, and Napier Waller was commissioned to create a mosaic for the lift core wall facing William Street. The building was refurbished in 2007, replacing the façade and renovating the lobbies, but leaving the mosaic in place. Waller's towering male figure "Prometheus" symbolises fire, earth, water and the release of energy, appropriate for an organisation that generated electricity from burning coal. It effectively commands the foyer area, though for something created in the 1960s, the idiom is considered a hold over from another era. Waller is regarded as a leading Australian artist in the field of public works, with great mural pieces at the Melbourne Town Hall, Myer Mural Hall, State Library of Victoria, mosaics at the University of Western Australia, and mosaics and stained glass windows at the War Memorial in Canberra. In Melbourne he is also known for the mosaic at Newspaper House in Collins Street, a mural in the T&G building foyer and a stained glass window that survived the Wilson Hall fire, on display at the Ian Potter Museum. He is also known for accomplishing all this with only his left arm, having lost his right arm fighting in France in World War I. He died in Melbourne in 1972, and his house and studio in Ivanhoe have been left tothe care of the National Trust.SignificanceThe mosaic is a boldly coloured dynamic presence enhancing a bland corporate foyer, and is notable as oneof the last works by one of Australia’s foremost artists working in the public realm.ReferencesNapier Waller Prometheus Mural ‐ Foyer, Monash House, 15‐33 William Street, National Trust citation,B6440Melbourne Interactive Maps._______________________________________FACEBOOK 2021https://www.facebook.com/120943481324886/posts/monash-house15-33-william-street-melbournebuilt-in-two-stages-monash-house-was-t/3389053117847223/PA Barrett 2020:`Monash House15-33 William Street, MelbourneBuilt in two stages, Monash House was the headquarters of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SEC). Its earlier headquarters are opposite in William Street at the corner of Flinders Lane, now Swann House. The first stage of Monash House was completed in the 1960s, followed by the second in the 1970s. The second stage effectively doubled its size, doubling its frontage along William Street.When built, the 21-level building was faced in Wombeyan marble and black granite. Its bands of white marble, and its slab-like freestanding tower form, made it complement the tower of the National Mutual Centre diagonally opposite, completed around the same time and of a similar scale. Monash House was designed by Meldrum Partners in association with the Commission's architects.Facts and figures associated with electricity seem relevant to include here, when discussing the headquarters of an electricity authority. Monash House is noted as having 26,400 fluorescent tubes and 17,500 power outlets. An interesting aspect of its design was that escalators provided access for employees between the ground level and level eight, passenger lifts accessed the upper levels. Monash House, like many Post-war office buildings, had an auditorium. A feature of its foyer was the mural of Prometheus, by the painter, Napier Waller, completed in 1967. It is believed to be Waller's last mural.Monash House was remodelled in 2003, replacing its marble and granite facade with a plainer glazed facade. This photograph of Monash House was printed on an internal telephone directory of the former SEC. The building is now called 15 William Street, and is let to various tenants._______________________________________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)1962https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136935066Meldrum and Partners Architects and Town Planners 83 William St., Melbourne. Tel. 625051 Acting on behalf of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria we invite applications from interested persons for the position of CLERK OF WORKS for a stage contract involving new foundations and work on an existing structure situated at 15-25 William Street, Melbourne, preparatory to the erection of new reinforced concrete multi-storey building. It is intended that the appointment will be made in March-April, 1963, and will be for of approximately two years duration. Intending applicants 3re required to submit' in writing details of their experience in this type of building and reference from other projects carried out, all of which will be treated in confidence. An adequate salary will be paid to a qualified person and preference will be given to applicants who have had experience in reinforced concrete work. Applications will close on MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1963
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Record types:
Research and reports
Record number:
1264856
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 110091 | 1 PDF : 2,438 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |