| 25 Martin Place (formerly MLC Centre) | |
|---|---|
 MLC Centre Sydney | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Commercial |
| Location | 19–29Martin Place,Sydney |
| Coordinates | 33°52′05″S151°12′34″E / 33.868019°S 151.20932400000004°E /-33.868019; 151.20932400000004 |
| Construction started | 1972 |
| Opening | 1977; 48 years ago (1977)[1] |
| Owner | Dexus |
| Height | |
| Roof | 228 m (748 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 67[2] |
| Lifts/elevators | 26[3] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Harry Seidler |
| Developer | MLC Limited |
| Main contractor | Civil & Civic |
| Website | |
| www | |
25 Martin Place (formerly and still commonly known as theMLC Centre) is askyscraper inSydney,Australia. Originally named the "MLC Centre" afterMLC Limited, and still commonly referred to by that name, in 2021 the name was removed by its owner, Dexus, which now refers to the building simply by its street address of 25Martin Place.[4]
The building's construction was controversial, since it brought about the demolition in 1971-2 of the famous 19th centuryAustralia Hotel, theTheatre Royal, and the splendid Commercial Travellers Club building on the corner ofMartin Place, all of which formerly stood on the site.[5]
Designed by architectHarry Seidler, it stands at a height of 228 metres (748 ft) with 67 storeys,[1][2] and remains one of his most definitive works. The building was awarded theSir John Sulman Medal by theAustralian Institute of Architects.[1] The contractor wasCivil & Civic. It was officially opened by theGovernor-General,Sir Zelman Cowen, in September 1978.[5]
The building is a stark white,modernist column in an octagonal floorplan, with eight massive load-bearing columns in the corners that taper slightly towards the top. It is one of the world's tallestreinforced concrete buildings and was one of the tallest buildings in the world outside North America at the time of its completion. The MLC Centre was Sydney's tallest office building from 1977 to 1992.[1] The MLC Centre is wholly owned byDexus, which acquired a half-stake in the property from theQueensland Investment Corporation in June 2017[6] and bought out its former co-owner, theGPT Group, in March 2019.[7] The MLC Centre was also Australia's tallest building for nine years until losing the title to theRialto Towers inMelbourne in 1986.
Occupants include theTaipei Economic and Cultural Office in Sydney (TECO),Cognizant,Servcorp,[8] and formerPrime Minister of Australia,John Howard.[9] The podium of the building includes a shopping centre and a 1,186-seat theatre, the Theatre Royal.[10]
The building underwent a $100m repair project which installed hybrid corrosion protection to the facade. The project retained the original appearance of the structure but remedied damage to exposed aggregate precast concrete facade panels caused by expansive corrosion of steel reinforcement. In June 2021, it was rebranded from the MLC Centre to 25 Martin Place.[11]
The building was the headquarters of the fictitious "Harper Mining" company in the opulent 1980's television soap operaReturn to Eden.
The building was the centre of the storyline in the first episode of the Australian television drama,Police Rescue, airing in 1991. Sergeant Steve "Mickey" McClintock (Gary Sweet) is seen abseiling off the top of the building in the first half of the episode to persuade a man threatening to commit suicide not to jump.[citation needed]
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| Preceded by | Tallest building in Australia 1977–1986 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere 1977–1986 | Succeeded by |
| List of tallest buildings in Australia | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Heights are to highest architectural element. | |||||
