112-526: Qantas House is an Australian heritage-listed office building at 68–96 Hunter Street, Sydney . It was designed by Rudder, Littlemore & Rudder and built from 1955 to 1957 by Concrete Constructions Pty Ltd . It is also known as No. 1 Chifley Square . The site was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 25 May 2001. The airline Qantas saw a surge in activity in the years following World War II , and
224-575: A "Visiting Board" from the BAE, could be placed on the list of "recognized schools" and its successful students could qualify for exemption from RIBA examinations. The content of the acts, particularly section 1 (1) of the amending act of 1938, shows the importance which was then attached to giving architects the responsibility of superintending or supervising the building works of local authorities (for housing and other projects), rather than persons professionally qualified only as municipal or other engineers. By
336-475: A "deep, systemic disengagement from the membership", and of lacking transparency. In March 2022, young architects began a campaign to get the next RIBA president to move beyond "empty slogans and self-serving initiatives" and shake up an institute seen as "out of touch" with the wider profession. The campaign included members of a grassroots organisation, the Future Architects Front (FAF), and
448-545: A bibliography extending from a draft bill of 1887 to one of 1969. The Guide's section on "Education" records the setting up in 1904 of the RIBA Board of Architectural Education, and the system by which any school which applied for recognition, whose syllabus was approved by the Board and whose examinations were conducted by an approved external examiner, and whose standard of attainment was guaranteed by periodical inspections by
560-605: A brave future and a strong sense of history and of place. Qantas House was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 25 May 2001 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. Qantas House is an important landmark in the development of the modern office building in Australia. Significant for its use of early curtain wall technology and as one of
672-488: A design proposal in response to a given Brief. The winning design will then be selected by an independent jury panel of design professionals and client representatives. The independence of the jury is vital to the fair conduct of a competition. The RIBA Plan of Work , first developed in 1963, is a stage-by-stage model considered "the definitive design and process management tool for the UK construction industry". The latest version
784-404: A high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. Qantas House is a masterpiece of architectural form, composition and construction. It represents the highest standards of architectural design response its urban setting and its client's needs. Its unique graceful double curved from strikes a chord with the public and professionals alike. The composition of its façade elements
896-490: A high quality consideration for its context and for urban design, forming a key element in the Chifley Square urban area that was part of this long-standing town planning scheme for the betterment of this area of Sydney that dated to the early twentieth century. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales. Qantas House
1008-416: A long band to form the top of the fagade composition, providing an exciting demarcation of the building against the sky. Above this band, a recessed roofline contains staff facilities and a rooftop recreation area. The reinforced concrete structure of the building is relatively conventional. However, the planning is noteworthy in that the service cores are assymmetrically placed adjacent to the boundaries with
1120-625: A matter in his private life, reported by the RIBA as a "serious incident" to the Charity Commission . After an independent investigation, Jones resumed his role as president on 15 June 2020. In July 2021, he stepped down as a RIBA trustee, feeling unable to support a proposal to renew the contract of the RIBA chief executive, Alan Vallance, having made "serious allegations" about Vallance's conduct in February 2020. Senior figures demanded
1232-527: A model known as "Smart PFI", under which a traditionally appointed design team would prepare "example plans" which would be finalised and costed by PFI bidders . The RIBA is governed by the RIBA Council, a group of 60 members, elected from among the RIBA membership, the majority of whom are chartered architects . The RIBA is a member organisation, with 44,000 members. Chartered Members are entitled to call themselves chartered architects and to append
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#17327913087811344-540: A mural crown proper, and beneath the motto Usui civium decori urbium ". The motto is translated "for the use of the people, for the glory of the city". In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the RIBA and its members had a leading part in the promotion of architectural education in the United Kingdom , including the establishment of the Architects' Registration Council of the United Kingdom (ARCUK) and
1456-517: A progressive image with the use of the latest imported curtain wall technology combined with Australian materials such as granite, marble and a variety of timbers. Qantas House was the first office building to use Australian black granite from Adelong and Bookharn green granite from the Yass area. Marble was sourced in the country town of Mudgee and the Wombeyan Caves area. Queensland maple
1568-479: A reinforced concrete frame, is therefore an early example of the influence of this contemporary American technology and aesthetic in Australia. The building is significant in that it embraced this construction and aesthetic within the constraints of the 150' height limit which remained in place in Sydney until 1963. As might be expected during a period of expansion, investment in office buildings had been growing during
1680-589: A showcase for Australian materials. It also featured an innovative internal fitout and use of air conditioning services. It was critically acclaimed in the architectural press at the time and it was the recipient of the 1959 Royal Institute of British Architects Bronze Medal. Qantas House is significant as a variation within the Post-War International style of architecture, representing some aspects of transition from interwar European modernism. Characteristics of earlier styles can be identified in both
1792-414: A strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. It is likely that Qantas House is viewed as culturally significant within the community of NSW generally, not just for its association with Qantas, an Australian corporate icon, but also for its readily appreciated aesthetic and townscape qualities. This level of esteem
1904-532: A year-out of at least one year work experience in an architectural practice precedes the Part II which is generally a two-year post graduate diploma or masters. A further year out must be taken before the RIBA Part III professional exams can be taken. Overall it takes a minimum of seven years before an architecture student can seek chartered status. In common with other professional bodies established in
2016-751: Is based at two public sites: the Reading Room at the RIBA's headquarters, 66 Portland Place, London; and the RIBA Architecture Study Rooms in the Henry Cole Wing of the V&;A. The Reading Room, designed by the building's architect George Grey Wornum and his wife Miriam, retains its original 1934 Art Deco interior with open bookshelves, original furniture and double-height central space. The study rooms, opened in 2004, were designed by Wright & Wright Architects . The library
2128-631: Is becoming increasingly rare with continual upgrading of buildings and the Qantas House facade is an excellent example of this type. Qantas House is one of the five heritage listed "non-high-rise" multi-storeyed buildings within Sydney (four in the city of Sydney and one in North Sydney ) to remain that were constructed prior to 1960. Qantas House and the MLC building in North Sydney represent
2240-402: Is coherently ordered, as is its curtain wall construction featuring aerofoil-shaped mullions, symbolically linking building and client, lustrous teal coloured spandrels and green-tinted glazing. Qantas House is an important early and innovative example of post-War multi-storeyed office building in Australia. It was one of the first uses of curtain-walled technology in Australia and was designed as
2352-426: Is designed to support, inspire and provide a voice as students and graduates transition from study to practice. The RIBA sees itself as a lobbying organisation acting for architects, "for better buildings, stronger communities, and higher environmental standards ". For example, in 2005 in response to concerns that the UK government's Private Finance Initiative did not offer good value for money , RIBA put forward
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#17327913087812464-519: Is funded entirely by the RIBA but it is open to the public without charge. It operates a free learning programme aimed at students, education groups and families, and an information service for RIBA members and the public through the RIBA Information Centre. Since 2004, through the V&A + RIBA Architecture Partnership, the RIBA and V&A have worked together to promote the understanding and enjoyment of architecture. In 2004,
2576-540: Is highly regarded by the people of Sydney for its inherent aesthetic qualities and its association with Qantas, an Australian corporate icon. Qantas House is a fine example in the Australian context of intact, post-war, multi-storeyed office buildings from the first phase in the 1950s, and is from the small group in Sydney of this group designed prior to the amendments to the Heights of Buildings Act in 1957 that heralded
2688-497: Is important evidence of the rapid post-War growth in Qantas Empire Airways' international operations and in air travel generally. Alterations to Qantas House to allow for the construction by Qantas of the adjacent Wentworth Hotel are important evidence of changes in the nature of air travel and the growth of international tourism in Australia. Qantas House is a statement of the confidence and progressive spirit which
2800-462: Is open to the public, and includes a library, architectural bookshop, a café, bar, exhibition galleries and lecture theatre. Rooms are hired out for events. The organisation also owns an adjacent building at 76 Portland Place, a 1950s office building overhauled in 2013, which housed RIBA staff and a members' café. In September 2021, following the COVID-19 pandemic and an £8 million budget deficit in
2912-537: Is representative of the intact Post-War International style, multi-storeyed office buildings from the 1950s. It is one of only a handful of similar intact buildings in Sydney from that period and only a small numbering Australia. Qantas House is a fine example of early curtain-walled building technology in Australia, with an unconventional curved design. Qantas House is one of the small group of post-War, multi-storeyed office buildings remaining intact in NSW whose design preceded
3024-548: Is required. In addition to the Architects Registration Board , the RIBA provides accreditation to architecture schools in the UK under a procedure which validates courses at over 50 educational establishments across the UK. It also provides validation to international courses without input from the ARB. The RIBA has three parts to the education process: Part I which is generally a three-year first degree,
3136-473: Is room for improvement." A RIBA council member, Kerr Robertson, was removed as a councillor in October 2022. Described by Architects' Journal as a whistleblower , Robertson had criticised RIBA's board about issues including alleged conflicts of interest, institutional bullying, trustee interference in RIBA election rules changes, and a data breach. Presidents of the RIBA are elected by RIBA members, serve
3248-544: Is the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 , which has eight stages, 0 to 7. This version replaced the 2013 version. Previously, the RIBA Outline Plan of Work 2007 used letters for each stage (stages A-L) rather than numbers. RIBA work plan stages are often referred to in architectural, planning and procurement contexts, for example procurement notices may specify the relevant stages of work for which professional support
3360-491: Is the only example of Edwardian architecture on Hunter Street. Originally two-way throughout, in February 1987 the Pitt to George Street section was converted to one-way in a westerly direction. [REDACTED] Media related to Hunter Street, Sydney at Wikimedia Commons Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects ( RIBA ) is a professional body for architects primarily in
3472-412: Is uncertain. The northwestern corner of the site may contain the northern extension of an early brick-barrel drain, dating to the 1820s. (This drain previously ran diagonally across the site but was removed during the construction of Qantas House and replaced by a modern ceramic drainpipe. It is also likely to adjoin the southeastern boundary of the site). Although not part of the Qantas House site itself,
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3584-625: The Board of Architectural Education under the Architects (Registration) Acts, 1931 to 1938 . A member of the RIBA, Lionel Bailey Budden , then Associate Professor in the Liverpool University School of Architecture , had contributed the article on Architectural Education published in the fourteenth edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1929). His School, Liverpool, was one of the twenty schools named for
3696-778: The Manser Medal was renamed the RIBA House of the Year award in 2014. RIBA Competitions is the Royal Institute of British Architects' unit dedicated to organising architectural and other design-related competitions. Architectural design competitions are used by an organisation that plans to build a new building or refurbish an existing building. They can be used for buildings, engineering work, structures, landscape design projects or public realm artworks. A competition typically asks for architects and/or designers to submit
3808-606: The Royal Institute of British Architects in London , eventually dropping the reference to London in 1892. In 1934, it moved to its current headquarters on Portland Place , with the building being opened by King George V and Queen Mary . It was granted its Royal charter in 1837 under King William IV . Supplemental charters of 1887, 1909 and 1925 were replaced by a single charter in 1971, and there have been minor amendments since then. The original charter of 1837 set out
3920-560: The Stirling Prize . It also manages RIBA Competitions , organising architectural and other design-related competitions. The RIBA was historically a male-dominated body, first admitting women members in 1898, and appointing its first female president in 2009. Sometimes perceived as a London-centric organisation, it has also been accused of lacking transparency. Originally named the Institute of British Architects in London , it
4032-530: The Sydney central business district in New South Wales , Australia is one of the oldest streets in Sydney. It runs from George Street in the west to Macquarie Street in the east. The street was originally named Bell Street. It is named after Governor Hunter , the second Governor of New South Wales . In the 1860s the street housed the glove shop of 'Sharp Lewis' whose large gloved hand swung over
4144-483: The post-nominals RIBA after their name; Student Members are not permitted to do so. Formerly, fellowships of the institute were granted, although no longer; those who continue to hold this title instead add FRIBA. Members gain access to all the institute's services and receive its monthly magazine the RIBA Journal and articles on its website, RIBAJ.com. The institute also maintains twelve regional offices around
4256-403: The 1970s another issue had emerged affecting education for qualification and registration for practice as an architect, due to the obligation imposed on the United Kingdom and other European governments to comply with European Union Directives concerning mutual recognition of professional qualifications in favour of equal standards across borders, in furtherance of the policy for a single market of
4368-419: The Australian context from the first phase of post-War, multi-storey commercial building construction in Australia in the period up to 1960. Qantas House is a unique example in the Australian context of a curved, curtain wall building of this type and period. The facade of Qantas House retains its original, aluminium-framed, curtain wall construction, with distinctive aerofoil-shaped mullions. This early technology
4480-407: The Australian theme in Qantas House was reflected more in the choice of materials than in the way they were used. In her report Post World War II Multistoried Office Buildings in Australia (1945–1967) , Jennifer Taylor states that the 'aesthetic ideas informing the design of multistoried office buildings in the '50s and '60s in Australia essentially belonged to architectural traditions developed in
4592-537: The Bauhaus, Germany in the late 1920s and early '30s and transported to America after the closure of that school by the Nazi government, where they blended with America's own traditions associated with multistoried building design. These ideas form the mainstream of architectural modernism, and are characterised by a value placed upon clarity, rationality, honesty, efficiency, functionality and technology. The external skin of
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4704-407: The Chifley Square space and onto the extension of Elizabeth Street as Philip Street. The external form of Qantas House retains its integrity with only minor alteration, and its key internal ground-floor/mezzanine space is retained along with its key internal circulation spaces. Although much of the building's internal fabric has been altered, the external fabric remains largely intact. The place has
4816-615: The European Union . This led to proposals for reconstituting ARCUK. Eventually, in the 1990s, before proceeding, the government issued a consultation paper " Reform of Architects Registration " (1994). The change of name to " Architects Registration Board " was one of the proposals which was later enacted in the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 and re-enacted as the Architects Act 1997 ; another
4928-501: The Henry Cole Wing at the V&A. Under the Partnership new study rooms were opened where members of the public could view items from the RIBA and V&A architectural collections under the supervision of curatorial staff. These and the nearby education room were designed by Wright & Wright Architects. In June 2022, the RIBA announced it would be terminating its partnership with the V&A in 2027, "by mutual agreement", ending
5040-599: The Just Transition group, which had also supported Oki, put forward another 'change' candidate, Funmbi Adeagbo, to succeed Oki as president in September 2025. Also in May 2022, a RIBA director, Dian Small, highlighted the lack of diversity at an RIBA awards event, suggesting black architects "were not invited". On 26 May 2022, the RIBA's first director of diversity and inclusion, Marsha Ramroop, left after 13 months with
5152-466: The Post-War International style of architecture, Qantas House represents transitional aspects of "moderate" 1930s European modernism, combined with the latest in post-war curtain wall technologies and materials and is the best design response to its setting in Australia from this period. Although altered internally, its external facade remains largely intact. The graceful double-curved facade is coherently ordered and its shape reflects and visually reinforces
5264-628: The President's Awards for Research. The RIBA European Award was inaugurated in 2005 for work in the European Union, outside the UK. The RIBA National Award and the RIBA International Award were established in 2007. Since 1966, the RIBA also judges regional awards which are presented locally in the UK regions (East, East Midlands, London, North East, North West, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South/South East, South West/Wessex, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire). Inaugurated in 2001,
5376-474: The RIBA Council voted for the creation of the RIBA Future Architects initiative, an online platform and international network aimed at Part I, Part II and Part III architectural students and graduates. The initiative was championed by student and associates' representatives on Council, after a 2018 campaign highlighting the hardship architectural students faced in their degrees. The initiative
5488-592: The RIBA Library, was established in 1834 upon the founding of the institute with donations from members. Now, with over four million items, it is one of the three largest architectural libraries in the world and the largest in Europe. Some items from the collections are on permanent display at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in the V&A + RIBA Architecture Gallery and included in temporary exhibitions at
5600-417: The RIBA and across Europe and North America. Its collections include: The overcrowded conditions of the library was one of the reasons why the RIBA moved from 9 Conduit Street (where it had been since 1859) to larger premises at 66 Portland Place in 1934. The library remained open throughout World War II and was able to shelter the archives of Modernist architect Adolf Loos during the war. The library
5712-514: The RIBA commissioned an investigation, to be undertaken by the Fawcett Society , into gender equity in architecture. Women make up 31% of architects, while the average gender pay gap is 16%. The RIBA has been criticised by architects outside southeast England as a London-centric organisation which does not reach out to all members in the United Kingdom and beyond. The organisation has also been accused of institutional racism , of having
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#17327913087815824-708: The RIBA. RIBA Enterprises also included the Newcastle-based NBS ( National Building Specification ), which had 130 staff and dealt with building regulations and the Construction Information Service. In June 2018, the RIBA announced it was selling a £31.8 million stake in RIBA Enterprises, to LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Bank . In November 2020, NBS was sold to Byggfakta Group, a Sweden-based information services provider. The RIBA received £172 million from
5936-507: The United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three supplemental charters and a new charter granted in 1971. Founded as the Institute of British Architects in London in 1834, the RIBA retains a central London headquarters at 66 Portland Place as well as a network of regional offices. Its members played a leading part in promotion of architectural education in
6048-660: The United Kingdom, including a London regional office. The first regional office was the East of England, opened at Cambridge in 1966. Each region encompasses several local architectural groups. In February 2022, the RIBA was criticised for cost-cutting proposals to merge its offices across England into three 'super regions'. There are also international branches under the RIBA International umbrella, with offices in London, Shanghai and Sharjah (United Arab Emirates). There are four principal membership groups: RIBA Enterprises
6160-479: The United Kingdom; the RIBA Library, also established in 1834, is one of the three largest architectural libraries in the world and the largest in Europe. The RIBA also played a prominent role in the development of UK architects' registration bodies. The institute administers some of the oldest architectural awards in the world, including RIBA President's Medals Students Award , the Royal Gold Medal , and
6272-694: The Women Architects Forum was established. In 1993 the RIBA established a special interest group, the Women Architects Group; in 1999, renamed Women In Architecture, it became independent of the RIBA, which, in 2000, set up its first equality forum, Architects For Change. This became an umbrella group for Women In Architecture, the Society of Black Architects, student forum Archaos and other groups. In 2017, around 17% of architects were women, up from 8% in 1999. In November 2024,
6384-403: The adjoining buildings. This allows for the inclusion of a light well at the rear of the building, ensuring the penetration of light deep into the interior. It also means that the curved line of the building against the sky is not interrupted by vertical projections of centrally located service cores. The planning may also have resulted from a desire to maximise the available building envelope -
6496-432: The amendments to the Heights of Buildings Act in 1957. Qantas House is representative of the group of commercial buildings in Sydney associated with travel and is representative of the group of buildings with ground-floor public booking hall spaces. Qantas House is a good example of the work of the architectural firm Rudder Littlemore and Rudder. Qantas House is associated with the group of planned and implemented proposals for
6608-420: The area adjoining the front of Qantas House (Philip Street and Chifley Square) has high potential to contain intact subsurface deposits related to the previous street alignment and associated development. The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. Qantas House is a rare and outstanding example of architectural design of the highest quality in
6720-468: The betterment of Sydney's streets. [REDACTED] This Misplaced Pages article was originally based on Qantas House (No. 1 Chifley Square) , entry number 1512 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence , accessed on 14 October 2018. Hunter Street, Sydney Hunter Street located in
6832-477: The body 'come clean' about the conflict saying "The RIBA is becoming an increasingly secretive organisation. ... Confidentiality has been weaponised and woe betide anyone who wants to ask difficult questions...." A Council Board Advisory Group was established, with a QC investigating complaints. Jones told Architects' Journal that he had come under pressure from senior RIBA figures to resign, and felt that "in terms of [RIBA's] transparency and accountability, there
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#17327913087816944-499: The building (a humanist/organic form, a traditional composition and symbolic use of elemental forms) and in the influences identified by its designer, while its materials, such as aluminium, and its curtain wall construction arrived as post-War construction technologies. As a landmark building in such a prominent location, Qantas House demonstrates an excellent urban design response. Its relationship with Chifley Square, which it helps to define, reflects earlier twentieth-century schemes for
7056-441: The building appears to have reached the maximum floor space ratio and maximum height which were allowable under the planning codes at the time. At its south eastern corner, the building joins Emil Sodersten's 1936 City Mutual Life Building in a carefully considered and sensitive manner. The polished granite base course below the foyer windows respects the line and material of the base of Sodersten's granite clad building. In addition,
7168-465: The building as its first purpose-designed world headquarters, as an identifiable icon for its modern image, and was its sole occupant for twenty-five years. This association is continued through its lease of the ground and mezzanine floors and naming rights to the building. Qantas House is important for its public use associations with air travellers since its time of construction, as a booking and information venue for Qantas and other airlines that occupied
7280-570: The building for inclusion on the State Heritage Register. Qantas House is likely to have a strong association for current and former employees of Qantas Airways because of its former headquarters role for twenty-five years and its current role as the Qantas city-based booking office. The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. Although
7392-515: The building generally retained its original appearance as of 2001, except that the original cantilevered entrance awning and external signage had been lost. The archaeological potential of the building is low. Qantas House, No. 1 Chifley Square, Sydney, designed in 1950 by Felix Tavener of Rudder Littlemore & Rudder, Architects and completed in 1957 represents the highest standard of architectural response to its urban setting and client needs through its form, composition and construction. A variant of
7504-418: The building interior has been considerably altered, it is likely that some internet fabric of the interior would be able to reveal further information about spatial arrangements, materials and finishes from the original construction period. Qantas House has the potential to yield important information on aspects of mid-twentieth-century architectural history and other technical aspects of its construction, such as
7616-411: The building was often the vehicle for a potent expression of such values. The glass curtain wall was prized as representing the complete release of the external fabric from its structural role'. Buildings demonstrating the new curtain wall technology began to appear in Australian cities, particularly Sydney and Melbourne, from 1955. Qantas House (completed 1957), with its sweeping curtain wall attached to
7728-424: The building's plan respects the semi-circular form which was proposed for the northern side of the square in its original design of 1908. Qantas House is still a distinctive feature of Chifley Square and its curved form provides a welcome pedestrian area at the front of the building. The building was designed in the post war International Style. The base, middle and top of the building are differentiated by changes in
7840-493: The company had achieved stature as a major world airline. Qantas House symbolised Australia's progress in aviation generally and the aeronautic future of Qantas Airways in particular. The construction of the building during this period reflected the increasing importance of international travel to the increasingly affluent middle class in Australia. The building was opened by Prime Minister Robert Menzies on 28 October 1957. In its new company headquarters, Qantas wished to project
7952-545: The constraints of the physical restrictions. The curving forms of the Qantas Building ... provide the most exuberant example." Australia's affair with these early curtain walls was short-lived, and they reached their peak of development and prestige in the early 1960s. Qantas House was judged the best new building in the British Commonwealth by the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1959, and
8064-414: The continuity of use from the time of construction to the present as a commercial office building and the continuous use of the ground floor for a publicly accessible use associated with travel. It provides evidence of the period during which air travel originated at city terminals for departure to Sydney Airport . It also provides evidence of the nature of changes in the nature of office use and fitout since
8176-816: The curved form of Qantas House, which addresses and shapes Chifley Square, is rare. Its form broke from the standard flat facade of most contemporary office buildings with its sweeping glass wall and dramatic cantilevered entry awning (now lost). Its curved fagade and more three-dimensional aesthetic distinguish it from the other buildings in the area. Taylor also states that, at their most progressive, "the new office blocks principally were ree-standing or virtually so, and by 1957 Australia could boast designs as aesthetically and technologically advanced as any outside America, and not far behind developments there. An interesting hybrid of infill and freestanding solutions occurred in response to certain sites, notably corner locations, where innovative buildings appear to strive to break free of
8288-404: The depth of excavation for the construction of the basement levels for Qantas House across most of the site, there is little potential for archaeological remains that predate the existing building to remain intact. There is some potential for intact subsurface deposits to survive in the northwestern corner of the site (currently lightwell) as the amount of disturbance that has occurred in these areas
8400-410: The detail of the internal fitout, the provision of air conditioning services, the first phases of curtain wall construction and office functional arrangements in the 1950s and 1960s. Qantas House is an important reference site for its early use of high-quality, curtain-walled technology and as a showcase for Australian building materials, including the granite and sandstone facing of the façade. Because of
8512-429: The early 19th century, the RIBA was initially a men-only institution. Thomas Leverton Donaldson, the RIBA's first secretary aimed "To uphold ourselves the character of Architects as men of taste, men of science, men of honour"; this vision of the masculine architect largely excluded women from the architecture profession for decades. More than 60 years after its foundation, the RIBA first admitted women as members in 1898;
8624-413: The facade treatment. The base consists of a double height foyer which incorporates a mezzanine level. On the facade, the volume of this space is differentiated from the upper levels of the building by the use of dark green and black polished granite cladding and by the large, uninterrupted panels of glazing set in bronze frames. The eleven storeys of the middle section of the facade are characterised by
8736-479: The finest examples from this period, and both represent distinctive and different forms of Post-War International style architecture. Qantas House is part of a small group of multi-storey buildings constructed by the last generation of Post-War corporate clients whose buildings were specifically designed to reflect that corporation's public image. Qantas House is a rare example of Post-War International Style architecture with an expressionist form. Qantas House illustrates
8848-458: The first female member was Ethel Charles (1871–1962), followed by her sister Bessie (1869–1932) in 1900. It was then more than 30 years before the RIBA elected its first woman fellow, Gillian Harrison (1898–1974), in 1931, and a further 77 years before RIBA elected its first female president, Ruth Reed . There is no record of any of the buildings designed by the early women members. In 1985, when under 5% of chartered architects were women,
8960-412: The first planned world headquarters for Qantas Empire Airways, at the time Australia's only, and Government-owned, international airline, the building, and in particular the aerofoil-shaped aluminium mullions of its curtain wall, gives form to Qantas' forward looking and expansive image at a time when air travel was taking off. Qantas Airways remained as its sole occupant for twenty-five years. The building
9072-411: The footpath. Next door were the 'Parrot Brothers', who supplied footwear to the people of Sydney. The site of the old Norwich Chambers on the corner of Bligh Street was once occupied by a dentist named Smythe and later was the office of the solicitor William Barker. It was built in 1886 and demolished in 1922. The heritage-listed office building Perpetual Trustee Company Building at 33–39 Hunter Street
9184-457: The formation of a new entrance to the lift lobby at the northern end of the building. Internally, the double height volume of the foyer is intact although the current recent fitout has resulted in some partitioning of the space. The original curtains to the office and foyer levels have been removed or replaced with vertical drapes. Originally, the building interior featured Australian grown timbers such as sycamore, mahogany and walnut. The exterior of
9296-454: The ground floor including TAA and Australian Airlines. Qantas House was designed by the noted architectural firm Rudder Littlemore & Rudder, with Felix Tavener as the design architect, and is arguably their most significant building achievement. The State Heritage Register inclusion criteria satisfied is associated with a significant event, person or groups of persons. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or
9408-496: The implementation of a long-planned extension to Elizabeth Street . It became the inspiration for the eventual completion of the ironically named, but no less significant, Chifley Square, modelled on a town planned scheme of some eighty years before. Qantas House is a key defining element in this important, planned, urban space; it provides an appropriate visual termination to important vistas and it visually links to adjoining important buildings and streets. Historically significant as
9520-537: The institute's Mycenaean lions medal and the Latin motto Usui civium, decori urbium has been attributed to Thomas Leverton Donaldson, who had been honorary secretary until 1839. The RIBA Guide to its Archive and History (Angela Mace,1986) records that the first official version of the badge of the Lion Gate at Mycenae was used as a bookplate for the institute's library and publications from 1835 to 1891, when it
9632-547: The institute’s Future Architects Steering Group; their preferred candidate, Muyiwa Oki , was named on 6 May 2022. Days later, the RIBA announced a restriction on new members participating in the elections (starting on 28 June 2022), a rule change described by the FAF as "an outrageous lack of transparency" and "exclusionary tactics". Nonetheless, in August 2022, Oki was elected to be the next RIBA president from September 2023. In 2024,
9744-433: The last multi-storey buildings designed prior to amendments to the Heights of Buildings Act in 1957 in NSW, it is from the first phase of curtain wall buildings that provided a transition to the mature high-rise buildings of the 1960s. Qantas House is significant as the first purpose-built world headquarters office building for Qantas Empire Airways, at that time Australia's only, and Government-owned, international airline. It
9856-413: The late 1950s. In general, however, the buildings themselves were of low budget and limited dimension. They were usually infill structures of limited height, were built right to the building line and provided minimal pedestrian amenity. Context was generally seen as inconsequential and plazas associated with these buildings tended to divorce rather than unite the building with the city. Within this context,
9968-572: The oldest awards worldwide in the field of architecture. The Institute runs many other awards including the Stirling Prize for the best new building of the year; the Royal Gold Medal (first awarded in 1848), which honours a distinguished body of work; the Stephen Lawrence Prize, sponsored by the Marco Goldschmied Foundation , originally for projects with a construction budget of less than £1,000,000, and
10080-541: The organisation. In December 2022, the RIBA decided not to "proceed with the development and sale of an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) guidance book for practices, originally planned for 2024". The RIBA had commissioned Ramroop to write the book; she said she was "extremely disappointed that RIBA has taken the decision not to go ahead with publishing it." Questions about RIBA transparency were also raised by Alan Jones during his presidency (2019–2021). Between 31 March and 15 June 2020, he temporarily stepped back over
10192-461: The partial implementation of a significant town planning scheme for the betterment of Sydney and provided the pattern for the eventual completion of Chifley Square as a significant urban space some eighty years after it was first envisaged. The fulfilment of this town planning vision provides important evidence of the complex nature of such activity and the interaction between various levels of Government, professionals and land owners. Qantas House shows
10304-462: The permanent architecture gallery at the museum. Artefacts will be transferred back to the RIBA's existing collections, with some rehoused at the institute's headquarters at 66 Portland Place, set to become a new House of Architecture following a £20 million refurbishment. The RIBA has been awarding the President's Medals annually since 1836, making them the institute's oldest awards, and possibly
10416-521: The proportions of the fenestration of Qantas House's curtain wall panels and the steel framed windows of the WL building are similar. In successfully taking advantage of its corner site, Qantas House also forms an elegant termination to the long view northwards along Elizabeth Street. The exterior of the building is in near original condition, the only notable changes having been the loss of the original cantilevered entrance awning and original exterior signage and
10528-477: The purpose of constituting the statutory Board of Architectural Education when the 1931 Act was passed. Soon after the passing of the 1931 Act, in the book published on the occasion of the institute's centenary celebration in 1934, Harry Barnes, FRIBA, Chairman of the Registration Committee, mentioned that ARCUK could not be a rival of any architectural association, least of all the RIBA, given
10640-497: The purpose of the Royal Institute to be: '... the general advancement of Civil Architecture, and for promoting and facilitating the acquirement of the knowledge of the various arts and sciences connected therewith...' The RIBA's operational framework is provided by its byelaws, which are more frequently updated than the charter. Any revisions to the charter or byelaws require the approval of the Privy Council . The design of
10752-438: The repetitive pattern of the smaller aluminium-framed curtain wall panels. The curtain wall is composed of vertical standard sections which include awning windows at their tops, central panels of fixed glazing and enamelled steel spandrel panels at their bases. At the northern end of the building is a full height sandstone faced wall on which a vertical "Qantas Airways" sign was originally located. The sandstone facing returns in
10864-502: The sale of its stake in NBS, some of which was reinvested to provide a reliable income stream for the institute. The RIBA has been recognised as a business Superbrand since 2008. The RIBA's headquarters has been at 66 Portland Place , London, since 1934. This Grade II* listed building was designed by architect George Grey Wornum for the institute and features sculptures by Edward Bainbridge Copnall and James Woodford . The building
10976-411: The space and has itself been respected by the recent developments around this important urban space. The generous footpath space n front of Qantas House provides an appropriate forecourt to the public ground-floor booking hall. Qantas House was designed as and forms an aesthetically distinctive termination of the northern view along Elizabeth Street, while at the same time the building leads the eye around
11088-399: The subsequent "high-rise" phase. It has particular rarity within Australia for its unique shape, the outstanding quality of its curtain wall facade and its contribution to its urban setting. As such, it is considered to have heritage significance at a national level. A well known and much loved city landmark, Qantas House is an icon of its time; a quintessential Sydney building that represents
11200-452: The time of construction, including those resulting form the change from a single owner occupier to multiple tenancies on its upper levels. The place has a strong or special association with a person, or group of persons, of importance of cultural or natural history of New South Wales's history. Qantas House has a strong association with Qantas Airways, a prominent Australian company of international renown. Qantas Empire Airways constructed
11312-641: The two institutions created the Architecture Gallery (Room 128) at the V&A showing artefacts from the collections of both institutions, this was the first permanent gallery devoted to architecture in the UK. The adjacent Architecture Exhibition Space (Room 128a) is used for temporary displays related to architecture. Both spaces were designed by Gareth Hoskins Architects . At the same time the RIBA Library Drawing and Archives Collections moved from 21 Portman Place to new facilities in
11424-475: The way ARCUK was constituted. Barnes commented that the Act's purpose was not protecting the architectural profession, and that the legitimate interests of the profession were best served by the (then) architectural associations in which some 80 per cent of those practising architecture were to be found. The RIBA Guide to its Archive and History (1986) has a section on the "Statutory registration of architects" with
11536-503: The year ending 31 December 2022 reported a £6.3 million trading deficit (following shortfalls of £8 million in 2021 and £8.2 million in 2020), though the sale of its lease on 76 Portland Place for nearly £12 million had since helped balance its books. In January 2022, the RIBA announced an architectural competition for RIBA-chartered architectural practices for a £20 million "comprehensive refurbishment" of its 66 Portland Place HQ. The British Architectural Library, sometimes referred to as
11648-399: The year ending December 2020, the RIBA announced plans to sell 76 Portland Place and to reduce staff numbers. Chief executive Alan Vallance said 89% of RIBA's staff only wanted to work two or three days a week from an office, so 76 Portland Place was surplus to requirements. A potential 20 further redundancies were reported on 31 January 2022. The organisation's annual report and accounts for
11760-471: Was awarded the Bronze medal. Qantas House is distinguished by its graceful, segmented, curved facade which consists of a 46m high, double glazed curtain wall of green glass with enamelled blue-green steel spandrel panels. It is located on the western side of Chifley Square which itself is located at the intersection of Elizabeth, Hunter and Phillip Streets in Sydney. In following the curve of Chifley Square,
11872-421: Was characteristic of Australia during the 1950s. The international status and progressive nature of Qantas' operations when combined with the exuberant form and imagery, the use of innovative and local materials, and innovative techniques and services in the building itself, provides an exemplar of the positive, forward-looking aspects of Australian society during this period. The construction of Qantas House marked
11984-523: Was evident at the time of construction and there is evidence, through media coverage in recent years when it was perceived as being under threat, that it remains. Qantas House is also held in a high level of esteem by the architectural profession and other conservation groups in NSW. The building is included on the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Register of Twentieth Century Buildings of Significance and they recently nominated
12096-415: Was formed in 1834 by several prominent architects, including Decimus Burton , Philip Hardwick , Thomas Allom , William Donthorne , Thomas Leverton Donaldson , William Adams Nicholson , John Buonarotti Papworth , and Thomas de Grey, 2nd Earl de Grey . The latter served as the institute's first president for 25 years until his death in 1859. After the grant of the royal charter it had become known as
12208-400: Was redesigned by J. H. Metcalfe. It was again redesigned in 1931 by Eric Gill and in 1960 by Joan Hassall . The description in the 1837 by-laws was: "gules, two lions rampant guardant or, supporting a column marked with lines chevron, proper, all standing on a base of the same; a garter surrounding the whole with the inscription Institute of British Architects, anno salutis MDCCCXXXIV ; above
12320-573: Was the abolition of the ARCUK Board of Architectural Education. RIBA Visiting Boards continue to assess courses for exemption from the RIBA's examinations in architecture. Under arrangements made in 2011 the validation criteria are jointly held by the RIBA and the Architects Registration Board, but unlike the ARB, the RIBA also validates courses outside the UK. In 2005 the RIBA set up Academy of Urbanism . In 2019
12432-681: Was the commercial arm of RIBA, with a registered office in Newcastle upon Tyne , a base at 76 Portland Place in London, and an office in Newark , later sold to allow further investment. It once employed over 250 staff, approximately 180 of whom were based in Newcastle. Its services include RIBA Insight, and RIBA Product Selector . It previously ran RIBA Publishing, RIBA Bookshops (which operates online and at 66 Portland Place), RIBA Appointments and RIBA Journal . These all now operate as part of
12544-430: Was used extensively throughout the building and other timbers featured included walnut, mahogany and sycamore. As well as being chosen for aesthetic and patriotic reasons, there were economies to be achieved through the use of materials which could be found close at hand. The desire to reflect a specifically Australian character was rare in office interiors of the 1950s. In keeping with the prevailing International style,
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