Case Study: Qantas House
The former Qantas House, No 1 Chifley Square, Sydney is an icon of twentieth-century architectural design much loved by Sydneysiders. Designed in 1950 and completed in 1957, it is included on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. The elliptical aluminium mullions of its curtain wall facade were designed to reflect the aerodynamic inspirations of Qantas Empire Airways, which commissioned the building for its international headquarters.
GML completed a Conservation Management Plan for the building in 2002. GML’s oral history expertise was used to interview the original designer, Felix Tavener of Rudder Littlemore and Rudder Architects, and reveal little-known facts about the building that give a broader understanding of its significance and its relationship to Sydney’s development.
The building’s interior, significantly altered in the 1980s, was refurbished in 2004. The Conservation Management Plan guided the refurbishment, which included restoring original features. Before the works, GML prepared a statement on their potential heritage impacts, undertook archival photographic recording and provided heritage advice to the architect during the construction phase. GML also developed video-based interpretation for the building’s refurbished foyer.
Location: Sydney NSW
Client: DB Real Estate
Project Type: Conservation Management Plan