Gold Fields House

Gold Fields House was a high rise office block in the Sydney central business district on the corner of Alfred and Pitt Streets. Completed in 1966, it was one of the earliest high rises in Sydney. The 27 storey building was designed by Peddle, Thorp & Walker.[1][2] It was sold for redevelopment in 2014 and demolished in 2017/2018.[3]

Gold Fields House
General information
StatusDemolished
TypeOffice building
Address1 Alfred Street, Circular Quay
Town or citySydney
CountryAustralia
Coordinates33°51′42″S 151°12′31″E
Named forConsolidated Gold Fields
Opened1966
Demolished2018
Technical details
Floor count27
Design and construction
Architecture firmPeddle, Thorp & Walker
Main contractorMainline
Dilingham
Haunstrup

History

Gold Fields House was built for Consolidated Gold Fields by a joint venture of Mainline, Dilingham and Haunstrup.[4][5][6] It contained 4,000 tons of structural steel and took two years to complete. The steel frame had cellular steel floors topped with concrete. Its precast concrete panels were supported at floor level and span between the structural columns.[2] Glass mosaic tiles face the external columns. Marble was used in the columns and floor of the foyer.

Construction progress was recorded in a series of drawings by Sydney artist Unk White after making on site sketches at regular intervals.[2]

In June 2006, Gold Fields House was sold by Multiplex to Valad Property Group.[7][8] In 2011 Valad announced stated in its March quarter update on Thursday that the Sydney Local Environment Plan 2005 (Amendment No. 2), which was previously approved by the Sydney City Council, has been gazetted by the government. Valad targeted Asian investors for a much taller tower.[9]

One Circular Quay tower

In January 2015, Valad sold the property to Chinese investors Dalian Wanda Group.[10][11][12] The purchasers also bought neighbouring the Fairfax House at 19-31 Pitt Street and The Rugby Club at 31A Pitt Street and consolidated the three blocks on which it is expected that two new towers – one a high rise hotel, and the other a luxury 57-storey apartment complex – will be built.[12] It is planned that the adjacent Alfred, Pitt, Dally and George Streets will be integrated into an overall design that relates to Circular Quay Tower, the Public Square, 200 George Street, and the connecting laneways. The name given to the new development is "Sydney One".[13]

Demolition began in October 2017 amid reports that the Wanda Group would sell the property to reduce its debt load per the demands of Chinese regulators.[14][15] The sale by Wanda to Huang Jiquan, the son of Chinese political donor Huang Xiangmoa, was announced to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 29 January 2018.[16] The involvement of Xiangmoa 's young son (recent graduate Huang Jiquan) and son-in-law (Evan (Xiaozhi) Luo) was reported to be part of a family succession plan.[3]

On the morning of 13 February 2018 a fire engulfed the site. Gas cylinders exploded and fire crews had to remove others to prevent more explosions.[17][18]

Construction of the new residential tower on the former Gold Fields House site began in 2019, where it will ultimately reach a height of 197 metres (646 ft).

References
  1. Apperly, Richard (1971). 444 Sydney Buildings. Sydney: Angus & Robertson in Association with The Australian Institute of Architects. p. 14. ISBN 0207120838.
  2. "An Artist Recorded Progress". Architecture Today. 9 (5): 11. March 1967.
  3. Needham, Kirsty (30 January 2018). "Company linked to political donor Huang Xiangmo scoops Circular Quay apartment project". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  4. New look at Circular Quay Canberra Times 16 December 1965 page 28
  5. Final touches to Gold Fields House Daily Telegraph 6 November 1966 page 20
  6. Tenants moving into balancing block on Quay Sydney Morning Herald 6 December 1966 page 25
  7. Multiplex Property Trust sells Goldfields House for $274.1 million Multiplex 26 June 2006
  8. Cashed up Valad buys Sydney landmark Sydney Morning Herald 30 June 2006
  9. Cummins, Carolyn (16 May 2011). "Circular Quay soon to put on a new face". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  10. Blackstone Announces Sale of Gold Fields House in Sydney to Dalian Wanda Group Blackstone 26 January 2015
  11. Cummins, Carolyn (21 December 2014). "Gold Fields House sells for $425 million". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  12. Visentin, Lisa; Needham, Kirsty (14 February 2018). "Fiery start for young property developer as Circular Quay building goes up in flames". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  13. Johnson, Nathan (21 August 2015). "Circular Quay's new bookend revealed: golden towers replace Goldfields and Fairfax buildings". Architecture and Design. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  14. Needham, Kirsty; Johanson, Simon (20 November 2017). "Wanda set to sell off $1.3b Circular Quay property development". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  15. Cummins, Carolyn (29 November 2017). "Circular Quay home to new $1.5b office/retail project". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  16. Kozaki, Danuta (30 January 2018). "Political donor Huang Xiangmo's son buys Circular Quay landmark Gold Fields House". ABC News. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  17. Visentin, Lisa; Needham (14 February 2018). "Fiery start for young property developer as Circular Quay building goes up in flames". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  18. "Fire breaks out at a Circular Quay construction site (photo gallery)". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 February 2018.

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