81-584: Wentworth Hotel may refer to: Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Wentworth Hotel, Perth Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Wentworth Hotel . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wentworth_Hotel&oldid=1251370355 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
162-703: 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
243-529: A cost of £4 million primarily on the site of the old Union Club. The hotel proposal was approved by the Federal Cabinet in August 1961. On the recommendation of Qantas board director, Robert Law-Smith , the prominent American architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill , was commissioned to design the hotel, in association with a local architectural firm, Laurie & Heath . The unique design
324-518: A design by associate architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Laurie & Heath in the Post-war International Style , replacing the original Wentworth Hotel on Lang Street, which had operated since 1855 as one of Sydney's most prominent hotels. Originally owned and operated by Qantas , the hotel was operated by Sheraton from 1982, Rydges from 1995, and has been operated by Sofitel since 2004. The hotel stands at
405-624: A height of 58.8–63.4 m (193–208 ft), with 20 floors and 436 hotel rooms. The history of the hotel dates back to 1855, when the Wentworth Hotel was first opened as a boarding house on Lang Street further to the west in inner Sydney. Owned and run by the Maclurcan family, the Wentworth Hotel eventually grew to become one of the city's premier hotels, alongside The Australia Hotel (opened 1891) on Castlereagh Street, and
486-404: 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
567-491: 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
648-417: 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
729-480: 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
810-589: 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
891-414: 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
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#1732780516476972-505: A sunflower-lighting unit by Edison Price of New York. In an indication of Qantas' intentions regarding the historic Wentworth Hotel, in September 1965, Qantas announced that the new hotel would be named "Wentworth" to "carry on the honourable name and tradition of the most successful and historic Wentworth Hotel." The final night of the old Wentworth Hotel was held on 13 December 1966, with free drinks provided. The 100 guests staying at
1053-441: Is a twenty storey tower of Post War Minimalist Style. It is of historic importance for its association with QANTAS and QANTAS House. The hotel is important as the only Australian work by Skidmore Owings and Merrill, and as the oldest major Sydney Hotel. The Wentworth Hotel is aesthetically significant for the huge copper canopy over the entrance, which at the time of construction, was one of the largest completely fabricated awnings in
1134-631: 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
1215-402: 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
1296-533: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Sofitel Sydney Wentworth The Sofitel Sydney Wentworth (also referred to as the Wentworth Hotel ) is a heritage-listed luxury five-star hotel located at 61-101 Phillip Street in the Sydney central business district , New South Wales , Australia. The Wentworth Hotel on this site opened in December 1966, to
1377-567: Is here, surrounded by bars and restaurants. The Wentworth, still less than two months old, already seems to have become an important part of the Sydney scene. In March 1982, Qantas sold the Wentworth Hotel for $ 70 million to National Mutual , with the hotel management to be undertaken by Sheraton Pacific Hotels and the hotel being renamed the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel. In August 1995, hotel chain Rydges took over management of
1458-540: 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
1539-497: 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
1620-537: 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
1701-412: 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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#17327805164761782-489: The Hotel Metropole (opened 1880) on Bent, Phillip and Young Streets. With the growth of tourism and visitors to Sydney in the post-war period, there was an identified shortage of hotel space in the city, and Qantas Empire Airways sought to acquire a hotel with which they could integrate their operations, similar to the relationship between Pan Am and Intercontinental Hotels . In September 1950, Qantas purchased
1863-593: The Miss Grand Australia beauty pageant. The hotel is also known for being the regular host of state and federal election night events for the Liberal Party of Australia , including every election from 1993 to the 2022 federal elections. [REDACTED] Media related to Sofitel Sydney Wentworth at Wikimedia Commons Qantas House Qantas House is an Australian heritage-listed office building at 68–96 Hunter Street, Sydney . It
1944-419: 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
2025-408: 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
2106-537: 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
2187-408: 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
2268-616: The Grand Ballroom seating up to 1,200 persons. The opening room rates were $ 9.50 (single) and $ 13.50 (double) per night. The first year of hotel operation resulted in a loss of $ 167,950 for Qantas Wentworth Holdings. A profit of $ 123,130 was reported the following year (1967–1968). Not long after its opening, the Australian Women's Weekly reported: Sydney is sure to take the Wentworth Hotel to its gay, pleasure loving heart, for within its red brick walls may be found
2349-466: 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
2430-522: The Wentworth Hotel from the Maclurcan family for £275,000, by purchasing the shares of the holding company, Wentworth Hotel Limited. Qantas then formed a new holding company, Qantas Wentworth Holdings, to manage the hotel for the airline. In September 1951, Qantas opened a new booking terminal in the hotel. With the development and completion of the Chevron Hilton Hotel on Macleay Street, Potts Point , in 1959–1960, Qantas also sought at
2511-683: The Wentworth during their Apollo 11 Moon landing world tour. In December 1970, Pope Paul VI was a guest of the hotel on the occasion of the first papal visit to Australia. The hotel hosted Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh for Royal visit state receptions in 1973, 1980, and 1986. On 28 March 1983, the hotel ballroom famously hosted the Benevolent Society ball attended by Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales during their Royal tour of Australia , whose dance to " The More I See You " captured
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2592-404: 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 -
2673-401: 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 a progressive image with the use of
2754-432: 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
2835-421: 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
2916-531: The attention of the press. In September 2007, the hotel hosted the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin , and the President of China, Hu Jintao , during their visit to Sydney for APEC Australia 2007 . Other visitors have included Bill Gates , Audrey Hepburn , Marlon Brando , Sophia Loren , Margaret Thatcher , and George H. W. Bush . In 2018, 2019, and 2022, the hotel hosted
2997-499: 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
3078-399: 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,
3159-442: 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,
3240-465: 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
3321-571: 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
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3402-516: 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
3483-418: 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
3564-414: 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
3645-425: 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
3726-535: The club to stay in place for three years while a new clubhouse was built immediately to the north on the corner with Bent Street. With a preliminary submission of the project submitted to the Commonwealth Government in 1958, in October 1962, the managing director of Qantas, Sir Hudson Fysh , announced that Qantas would build a substantial new 452-room hotel immediately adjacent to Qantas House at
3807-613: 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
3888-414: 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
3969-817: 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
4050-404: 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
4131-514: The desire of Qantas to have the character of the hotel be "distinctly Australian in character, using Australian timber, marbles, and stone". The main hotel entrance on Phillip Street featured a 39 metre wide curved copper awning, and the podium walls faced in Trachyte ; and the tower walls were faced in dark bricks to contrast from the glass and steel curtain walling of Qantas House next door and to give "distinction and substance". The interiors were
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#17327805164764212-410: 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
4293-568: The essentials high life - luxury, glamor, and built-in discretion. [...] The hotel was designed by a team of American and Australian architects and decorators. They have produced hotel of unobtrusively splendid luxury with a many-faceted personality. The main entrance in Phillip St is the luxury, social part; the Bligh Street entrance, in the middle of Sydney's big business stronghold, is busy, sophisticated, vital. The Qantas Airways terminal
4374-414: 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
4455-479: 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
4536-412: 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
4617-457: 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
4698-456: 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
4779-599: The hotel from National Mutual for $ 108 million and undertook a major refurbishment of the hotel to maintain its five-star status. In 2004, the management of the hotel was acquired by Accor Group from Rydges, with the hotel to be renamed under the Sofitel brand as the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. In 2006, Tourism Assets Holdings Limited bought the hotel title for a price reported to be around $ 150 million. In May 2010, LaSalle Investment Management bought
4860-855: The hotel from Sheraton, with the hotel renamed The Wentworth – A Rydges Hotel, and at the same time National Mutual undertook various refurbishments to the Garden Court Restaurant and public spaces. On 4 April 2000, the hotel and its interiors was listed as a local heritage item by the City of Sydney under the Central Sydney Heritage Local Environmental Plan 2000 (since replaced by the Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012 ), with its statement of significance noting: "The Wentworth Hotel facing Chifley Square
4941-455: The hotel were required to leave by 10:00am on 14 December 1966, with half of the guests transferring to the new Wentworth Hotel on Phillip Street . On its opening, the hotel was promoted as "Australia's first self-contained Convention and Entertainment Centre", and had 448 rooms and 38 suites, featured 12 bars and restaurants (including a "Harbour Bar", "Coral Reef Bar", "Ayers Rock Grill", "Flight Bar", and "Old Sydney Bar and Tavern"), as well as
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#17327805164765022-497: 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
5103-433: 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
5184-414: 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,
5265-513: 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 was used extensively throughout
5346-493: The major fundraising event of the Black & White Committee, the most patrician of Sydney's charity groups. The building is scientifically significant for the largest air conditioning system, column free ballroom, and as the largest brick structure in the southern hemisphere. The building contains a rare example of a vertical passenger lift spanning four floors." In 2001, private property investment firm City Freeholds Pty Ltd bought
5427-461: 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
5508-522: 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
5589-438: 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
5670-434: The same time for a contemporary style hotel that would meet the needs of travellers. Associated with the development for Qantas House on Phillip Street, which was completed in 1957 to a design by Rudder, Littlemore & Rudder, Qantas started buying up land in the block bounded by Phillip, Bligh and Bent Streets. In 1955, Qantas had purchased the historic Union Club site on Bligh Street for £500,000, with an arrangement for
5751-411: 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
5832-399: 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
5913-453: 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
5994-474: The title to the hotel for $ 130 million from Tourism Assets Holdings. In May 2014, LaSalle sold the hotel again to the Singapore -based Frasers Property for over $ 200 million. In October 2021, Frasers sold the hotel for $ 315 million to private equity firm KKR . The hotel has been host to many notable visitors over the years. In October 1969, Neil Armstrong , Buzz Aldrin , and Michael Collins stayed at
6075-530: The work of interior design for SOM, Audrey Borkenhagen . The Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales , Hal Missingham , was engaged to advise on the choice of artworks for the hotel, with one of the most prominent commissioned artworks being the Australian wildflower tempera mural by Dennis Adams placed in the foyer of the convention hall. Other artworks and decorative elements included heraldic tapestries of Australian cities by Margaret Grafton, and
6156-410: The world. The distinctive horse shoe design of the Wentworth Hotel is significant as a familiar architectural landmark in Sydney. It was Australia's biggest international hotel at time of construction. It derives social significance from its long-standing status as Sydney's hotel for the rich and famous, for the continuity of the name Wentworth Hotel, and as the venue for the annual Black & White Ball,
6237-472: 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,
6318-421: 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
6399-460: 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 the company had achieved stature as a major world airline. Qantas House symbolised Australia's progress in aviation generally and
6480-523: 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
6561-529: Was noted for its semi-circular tower design placed upon a podium, somewhat echoing Arne Jacobsen 's design for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, for Scandinavian Airlines (1960). Demolition and excavation for the project began on 1 July 1963 by A. Bradshaw (Excavations) Pty Ltd, and construction commenced from April 1964 by T. C. Whittle Pty Ltd (Construction), with the design echoing
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