Nauru House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nauru House |
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| Record height | |
| Tallest in Melbourne from 1977 to 1978 | |
| Preceded by | Optus Centre |
| Surpassed by | ANZ at Collins Place |
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Location | Melbourne, Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°48′48″S 144°58′15″E / 37.81333°S 144.97083°E |
| Completed | 1977 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 190 m (620 ft) |
| Roof | 183 m (600 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 52 |
| Floor area | 50,500 m2 (544,000 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Perrott Lyon Timlock & Kesa |
Nauru House (also known as 80 Collins Street) is a very tall 52-storey building. You can find it in the main business area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The building was designed by the architecture company Perrott Lyon Timlock & Kesa. It was finished in 1977.
Contents
A Building with a Unique History
How Nauru House Was Built
In the early 1970s, the small island nation of Nauru in the Pacific Ocean had a lot of money. This money came from selling a mineral called phosphate, which is used in fertilizers. To invest this money wisely, Nauru set up a special fund called the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust (NPRT). They decided to invest in buildings around the world.
In 1972, the NPRT bought a piece of land in Melbourne for A$19 million. This land was perfect for building a large office tower. The spot was at the corner of Exhibition Street and Little Collins Street.
Challenges of Construction
The land bought by Nauru had several older buildings on it. These buildings faced Collins Street, a famous street known for its historic architecture. At the time, many people were worried about losing these old buildings.
Some older buildings were taken down by 1972. However, one very special shop, Le Louvre, refused to sell its spot. This shop had been there since 1855! Because of this, Nauru House ended up with a unique address: 80 Collins Street. It had gaps on Collins Street where other buildings remained.
Melbourne's Tallest Building (for a short time!)
When Nauru House was finished in 1977, it became the tallest building in Melbourne. This was a big achievement! However, it didn't stay the tallest for long.
Just a few months earlier, the MLC Centre in Sydney was completed. That building was even taller. Then, in 1978, another building in Melbourne, the first Collins Place tower, became taller than Nauru House.
Changes Over Time
In 1991, the outside of Nauru House got a new look. The original pebble finish on the concrete started to crack and decay. So, the entire outside of the tower was covered in matte-gray aluminium. This gave the building a more modern and durable finish.
New Ownership and Future Plans
In the early 2000s, Nauru faced financial difficulties. The special fund that owned Nauru House had to sell its international properties. In December 2004, the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) bought Nauru House for A$140 million.
Years later, in 2008, QIC started planning a big new project for the site. They wanted to build an even taller office tower. This new tower would be closer to Collins Street. This time, QIC was able to buy the historic Le Louvre shop, which moved to a new location. They also bought and removed another old office block. This created a much wider space facing Collins Street.
The new design includes a 35-level office tower. It also has new shops, an arcade, and a hotel. Construction for this big project started in 2017 and was planned to finish in 2020. The new tower is called 80 Collins South Tower, and Nauru House is now known as 80 Collins North Tower.
In early 2019, the new development was bought by another company called Dexus for a lot of money. In December 2019, the old Le Louvre building was reduced to just its front facade due to some structural issues.
See also
In Spanish: Nauru House para niños
