Docomomo Australia’s advocacy for MLC North Sydney site continues with a submission against the latest proposed redevelopment of the building.
Recently ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ published an article by Megan Gorrey titled ‘MLC Building is on the heritage list but part of it might be razed‘, writing that “MLC Building in North Sydney would be partly demolished to make way for a 22-storey office tower under revised plans to overhaul the languishing site, setting the stage for another battle with architects and conservationists who say such action would destroy its heritage values.”
Docomomo Australia’s object to the proposal waited that ‘while the proposal was an improvement on earlier plans to bulldoze the block, the extensive demolitions and removal of the original materials could not be considered as conservation of a state heritage-listed building. The current scheme does not retain any significant part of the building and is tantamount to the construction of a new building, with part of the new building being a partial replica of the original. The wholesale removal of most of the building’s original fabric is considered to be excessive and will lessen, if not entirely remove, the building’s significance.’
Other objections came from National Trust, NSW and the Australian Institute of Architects.
Contact North Sydney Council to add your voice to call for the protection of this important modernist building.
