QV.1 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids QV1 |
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QV1 tower
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| General information | |
| Type | Office tower |
| Architectural style | Modernist |
| Location | 250 St Georges Tce, Perth, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°57′8.55″S 115°51′3.33″E / 31.9523750°S 115.8509250°E |
| Current tenants | Allens BP Chevron Corporation Clayton Utz Herbert Smith Freehills King & Wood Mallesons WorleyParsons CBRE |
| Construction started | 1988 |
| Completed | 1991 |
| Owner | Eureka Funds Management (50%) Investa Property Group (50%) |
| Management | CBRE |
| Height | |
| Roof | 163 m (534.78 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 40 (38 tenantable) |
| Floor area | 59,566 m2 (641,160 sq ft) (tower only) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Harry Seidler & Associates |
| Developer | Barrack Properties, Kajima Corporation & Interstruct |
QV1 is a very tall, modern skyscraper in Perth, Western Australia. It has 40 floors and stands 163-metre (535 ft) high. Finished in 1991, it is one of the tallest buildings in Perth. Famous architect Harry Seidler designed QV1. The building has won many awards for its cool design and for being very good at saving energy.
Contents
About QV1: A Tall Building in Perth
QV1 is a well-known building in Perth. It is located on St Georges Terrace, Hay Street, and Milligan Street. Before QV1 was built, this area had different buildings, including a popular burger place called Fast Eddy's.
How QV1 Was Built
Early Plans and Location
Planning for this big building started in the late 1980s. The design was made by Harry Seidler & Associates. The building site was near Parliament House. This meant there were rules about how tall new buildings could be. Experts agreed to change these rules so QV1 could be built.
The tower was given the name "Q.V.1". This name comes from a Latin phrase, Quo vadis, which means "where are you going?".
Building the Tower
In 1989, the land was bought by a group of companies. They also bought land across Hay Street for a car park. The Fast Eddy's restaurant moved to a new spot.
Building QV1 was a big project. But during construction, the price of office spaces in Perth dropped a lot. When QV1 was almost finished in 1991, it had no tenants. People thought it might be an empty building. However, a deal was made for other companies to buy the tower once it was finished.
Life After Building: QV1's Story
Finding Tenants and New Neighbors
After QV1 opened in 1991, many offices in Perth were empty. But by 1996, QV1 was completely full of businesses. It was the only top-quality office building in the city that was fully leased.
Some people thought QV1 was built too far away from the main business area. But when a big company called WAPET (now Chevron Australia) moved into QV1, it helped make the west side of the city a popular area for resource companies.
Special Uses and Memories
For many years, the roof of QV1 has been used for the city's yearly Lotterywest Skyworks fireworks show on Australia Day.
When Harry Seidler, the architect who designed QV1, passed away in 2006, a strong light was placed on the roof of QV1. It shone a beam into the sky as a way to remember him.
Smart Design of QV1
Blending In and Saving Energy
Harry Seidler wanted QV1 to look good from Parliament House. So, he designed the tower to look narrow from that direction. This helped get approval to build it. None of the building's sides point directly at Parliament House. There is also a two-level shopping area with a cool waterfall and pond on the north side.
Seidler also wanted the building to save energy. QV1 has special tinted double-glazed windows. It also has horizontal and vertical sun shades next to the windows. These shades help block the sun. This design helps save a lot of money on cooling costs each year.
The building also has separate air-conditioning units for each floor. This means they only cool or heat the floors that are being used. This saves a lot of energy, especially in Perth's warm weather. Cooling can be 60-70% of a building's energy use.
Strong Structure and Cool Features
QV1 has a very strong center made of reinforced concrete. This core helps the building stand strong against wind. The outside of the building has strong concrete columns. These columns and the core hold up the floors. Some floors even have gardens on their south sides. The top floors have fancy offices with outdoor terraces.
The main entrance of QV1 on St Georges Terrace has unique stone supports. These supports hold up parts of the building above them. The lobby inside the entrance is very tall, about 14 metres (46 ft) high. A large, 50-metre (160 ft) glass roof hangs over the entrance to protect people from the weather. The outside of the building is covered with shiny granite.
Some people did not like the modern design of QV1 at first. They called it "Perth's most ugly building" or a "giant Lego block." But Harry Seidler himself said QV1 was "the best building he had ever built."
Awards for QV1
QV1 has won many important awards, including:
- 1992 Royal Australian Institute of Architects (WA) Architecture Design Award for large commercial buildings.
- 1992 Royal Australian Institute of Architects (WA) Commendation for Civic Design.
- 1992 Royal Australian Institute of Architects (National) for Best design for a commercial building.
- 1992 Master Builders Association of Australia for Best workmanship.
- 1999 Master Builders Association of Australia National Energy Efficiency Award for Commercial Buildings (shared with Stadium Australia).
