STATE GOVERNMENT OFFICES, GEELONG

The State Government Offices, Geelong, a six-storey Brutalist concrete building designed by the Public Works Department in conjunction with Buchan, Laird & Buchan in c.1974/75 and completed in 1978. It is popularly known as the ‘Upside-down building’ and has a highly distinctive form that resembles an upturned pyramid or ziggurat. This effect is produced by the progressively broader cantilevering of the upper floors and is emphasised by regularly repeating concrete spans. The setback allows for surrounding plazas on three sides. Vast areas of glazing contribute to its distinctive appearance and the provision of natural light and expansive views internally. The building was created to provide office accommodation for multiple government departments and agencies, and this use continues. The foyer contains a large mosaic mural by the then State Government artist Harold Freedman which is a finely produced work on an enormous scale. The mural’s content is characteristic of a mainstream 1970s view of Australian history and both its depiction of Aboriginal people and the nature of European colonisation are disrespectful by contemporary standards. 

The State Government Offices, Geelong, is of architectural significance to the State of Victoria. It satisfies the following criterion for inclusion in the Victorian Heritage Register:
Criterion D
Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural places and objects.

 

The State Government Offices, Geelong, is architecturally significant as an important example of Brutalist architecture in Victoria. Its form, created by the cantilevering of upper levels, is highly dramatic and distinctive in Victoria. The building prominently displays several important aspects of the Brutalist approach – including an expressed structure and prominent use of concrete. Its fine design is complemented by the expansive mosaic mural by Harold Freedman in the building’s public foyer. Along with buildings such as the Moe Court House and the Footscray Psychiatric Centre, it is a defining work of the Public Works Department in the Brutalist style.

The building is also significant as a notable example of a twentieth-century State Government office. It is an unusually large and distinctive building of the type. Its scale, prominence and architectural boldness demonstrate the State Government’s enthusiasm for decentralising government services and jobs to regional centres in the 1970s.