| John Gorton Building | |
|---|---|
%2c_John_Gorton_Building_--_2019_--_1794.jpg) | |
 Interactive map of the John Gorton Building area | |
| Former names | Administrative Building |
| Etymology | John Gorton |
| General information | |
| Status | Under renovation[as of?] |
| Type | Commercial office |
| Architectural style | Inter-war Stripped Classical |
| Location | King Edward Terrace,Parkes,Canberra,Australian Capital Territory, Australia |
| Coordinates | 35°18′04″S149°08′02″E / 35.301184°S 149.133879°E /-35.301184; 149.133879 |
| Groundbreaking | 7 October 1927 |
| Construction started | 1946 |
| Topped-out | 1956 |
| Completed | 1956 |
| Opened | 2 February 1956; 70 years ago (1956-02-02) |
| Renovated | 2013 |
| Cost | £5 million |
| Renovation cost | A$17.3 million |
| Owner | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | George Sydney Jones |
| Architecture firm |
|
| Main contractor | Concrete Constructions |
| Official name | John Gorton Building, Parkes Pl, Parkes, ACT, Australia |
| Type | Listed place |
| Criteria | D., E. |
| Designated | 22 June 2004 |
| Reference no. | 105472 |
| Official name | Communications Centre, King Edward Tce, Parkes, ACT, Australia |
| Type | Listed place |
| Criteria | A., B., F., H. |
| Designated | 15 July 2004 |
| Reference no. | 105618 |
| References | |
| [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] | |
TheJohn Gorton Building, also referred to as theGorton Building and formerly theAdministrative Building,[3] is aheritage listed[7][8]government office located within theParliamentary Triangle inCanberra, Australia. The office building is the administrative headquarters of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Planned in 1924, designed in 1946 and completed in 1956, the Administrative Building is significant as a good Canberra example of theInter-war Stripped Classical style. Key features of this style displayed by the building include: the symmetrical facades; the division of the elevations into vertical bays; the occasional use of correctclassical details; the use of a basicclassical column form; the expressed portico; the simple surface treatments; and subdued spandrels between the storeys which emphasise verticality. Design elements which retain a high level of integrity include the exterior, foyers, lift lobbies and central corridors.
The Administrative Building is also part of the significant cultural landscape of the Parliamentary Triangle. It occupies a prominent and strategic location flanking the land axis in accordance with the 1916 Griffin plan. Together with the later Treasury Building balancing its mass across the central lawns of the land axis, the Administrative Building contributes to the planned aesthetic qualities of the Parliamentary Triangle. The building was listed on theCommonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.[1]
The building was first planned 1924,[9] with construction breaking ground soon after in 1927.[10][11] However, due to budgetary constraints[12][13][14] and substandard foundation construction,[15][16][17] the project was delayed indefinitely.[18][19] It took until 1946 for construction to begin, designed in the Inter-war Stripped Classical style.[1][20][21] It took a further ten years for the building to finally open in 1956.[22][23] The entire construction project took place in the context of a largepost-war expansion effort within Canberra.[24]
When the office building was first opened, it was occupied by theNews and Information Bureau,[22] theDepartment of the Interior,[25] theDepartment of Health,[26] and theDepartment of External Affairs (DEA).[27] The DEA and succeeding departments remained the building's primary occupant up until the late 1990s when theDepartment of Finance moved in.[28] In 1999 the building was renamed to the John Gorton Building, after Australia's 19thprime minister,John Gorton.[29]
In 1974, construction began on an underground communications centre for theDepartment of Foreign Affairs (previously the Department of External Affairs),[30][31] who were now the primary occupant of the building following an expansion during thecold war.[32][33] The existing structure did not have the security nor space to house the communications equipment.[34] In order to prevent spying and protect against foreign attacks, it was constructed with steel lined walls and a concrete super structure.[35][36][34][37]
By 2000, due to the modernization of the computer systems and their subsequent move to the main structure, the communications centre ceased occupation for several years.[38] Among other refurbishment and modifications, in 2002 its concrete roof slab was cut open to add skylights and sunken gardens.[39][40] In 2003, it was occupied newly occupyingDepartment of Finance.[34]
The site was added to theCommonwealth Heritage List in 2004.[39]
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
This Wikipedia article was originally based onJohn Gorton Building, Parkes Pl, Parkes, ACT, Australia, entry number 105472 in theAustralian Heritage Database published by theCommonwealth of Australia 2004 underCC-BY 4.0licence, accessed on 20 May 2020.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)