1 Treasury Place, Government building in Melbourne, Australia
1 Treasury Place is a five-story government office complex made of concrete and glass located in central Melbourne, featuring a rectangular layout with a central square tower. The building serves as the workplace for the Office of the Premier of Victoria, the Department of Premier and Cabinet, and the Department of Treasury and Finance.
Barry Patten won an architectural competition in 1962 to design this International Style building, which opened in the mid-1960s as part of the Treasury Reserve development. The project marked a period when contemporary design principles were being adopted for Australian government architecture.
The building marks a turning point in how Australian government offices were designed, bringing contemporary style to the center of Melbourne's administrative hub.
The building sits in central Melbourne and is easy to reach by public transportation, though it mainly serves government staff and officials so interior access is typically restricted. You can walk around the exterior at any time to view the architectural style and see how it fits among nearby government buildings.
The design employs load-bearing precast panels arranged in a grid pattern that visually echoes the historic Old Treasury Building next door. This clever choice shows how the new structure deliberately converses with the original building through its exterior skin.
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