Chan Building facts for kids
The Chan Building was an important government building in central Darwin, Australia. It was one of the last big office buildings constructed in the 1960s. For its first ten years, it was simply called Block 8. Around 1980, it was renamed after Harry Chan, a Chinese-Australian businessman and former mayor of Darwin. The Chan Building was the last of its kind still standing until it was taken down in September 2020. It even served as the temporary home for the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly (like a local parliament) from 1990 to 1994, while the main Parliament House was being built.
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Planning the Chan Building
In the late 1960s, Darwin was growing fast. The Australian government, through the Northern Territory Administration, planned a big building project. This project included four new buildings, and one of them was the Chan Building, then known as Block 8.
Block 8 was meant to be a central point for about 1600 government workers. It was designed to be modern and fit in with other buildings nearby. The plans included a basement, a ground floor, and two upper floors. It was fully air-conditioned and had a large cafeteria that could seat 300 people.
The building featured large sun screens made of anodised aluminium to block direct sunlight. Its base was made of exposed concrete. After many discussions, the project was approved. Old naval barracks from World War 2 were removed to make space for the new building.
What the Building Was Used For
The Chan Building had many different uses during its lifetime.
From 1990 to 1994, it was the temporary home for the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. This was while the main Parliament House was under construction.
Later, the building was used for various purposes. In 1999, it received a major upgrade. This was to prepare it for the APEC 2000 meeting, which Darwin hosted. APEC stands for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, a group of countries that work together on trade and economic issues.
Chan Contemporary ArtSpace
In 2010, the Northern Territory government announced that the building would become a modern art gallery. For five years, from 2010 to 2014, the Chan Building hosted many art shows. These shows featured works from local and regional artists. The Northern Centre for Contemporary Art helped organize these exhibitions.
Plans for a New Museum
On June 16, 2015, the Northern Territory Government announced plans to turn the Chan Building into a world-class visual arts museum. The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory was going to manage it. Architects from Darwin and Sydney won the design competition for this project. However, these plans faced problems due to rising costs and government approval issues.
Demolition of the Building
The Chan Building was scheduled to be demolished as part of a bigger plan to redevelop the State Square area. Demolition began on September 10, 2020. The area where the building once stood is now a green open space called the Chan Lawns.
