Dear Members of Docomomo Australia
At risk again – former MLC Building, 105 Miller Street, North Sydney
You will be aware that the MLC Building having been proposed for demolition in 2021 was refused by the NSW Land and Environment Court and subsequently listed on the NSW State Heritage Register in 2023. There was general consensus that the building would now be saved.
However earlier this year a development application was lodged which proposes the effective demolition of the State-listed MLC Building. The proposal is presented in the SEE and HIS as an adaptive re-use which, in our opinion, has misrepresented the scope of the demolition.
Applications for the whole sale re-development of the building have now been made as DA387/2024, lodged with North Sydney Council in January, which proposes the commercial use of the redeveloped building, and State Significant Development 83956216 application, lodged with the NSW Department of Planning in July, which proposes the educational use of the redeveloped building.
Unfortunately the Heritage Council (14.7.2025) supported the application.
The applicant’s demolition drawings clearly indicate if the proposal were to proceed the building above the ground level is essentially demolished.
The proposed changes include:
- demolition of the original curtain wall façade on the remaining Miller Street building (west wing) and replacement with replica curtain wall facades of different proportions
- demolition of the tile cladding from the north and south facades of the remaining west wing and replacement with replica tile facades
- change of heights and proportions between floor levels
- complete demolition of east wing and central core
- removal of the modernist landscape courtyard
- removal of significant artwork
- demolition of all the interior finishes and services
- demolition of the interior stairs that were an integral part of the award-winning campus MLC refurbishment
- demolition of the west wing first floor
- demolition of slab and beams to the first floor to raise the west wing ground floor level and consequent change to the Miller Street presentation
The extent of the removal of most of the building’s original fabric is more appropriately described as a ‘demolition’ and not a ‘refurbishment’ or ‘adaptive use’.
The Heritage Council resolution is inconsistent with the submissions from Docomomo Australia, the Australian Institute of Architects, the National Trust of Australia (NSW) and the Institute of Landscape Architects who found the demolition of the building inappropriate.
Docomomo Australia seeks your support in our efforts to save this iconic modernist building, the first large scale curtain-wall building in Australia.
We encourage you to write to the Minister for Heritage and the Heritage Council of NSW to object to these applications and the assessment process.
Minister for Heritage: https://www.nsw.gov.au/nsw-government/ministers/minister-environment-heritage
Heritage Council of NSW: heritagemailbox@environment.nsw.gov.au
With Thanks
Docomomo Australia