Back to search results »

Back to search page »

Former BHP House

Location 140 William Street,, MELBOURNE VIC 3000 - Property No B6518 File Number B6518 Level State

[1/1] B6518 Former BHP House

Statement of Significance

BHP House is significant at the State level as one of the most sophisticated examples of the modern commercial office tower in Victoria.
Designed by Yuncken Freeman Architects, and completed in 1972, BHP House is an extremely refined and successful example of a particular stream of modernist architecture where the steel skeleton structure is expressed on the facade. This aesthetic was particularly appropriate for Australia's largest steel producer, BHP Pty Ltd, for whom the building was built.
At forty storeys, it was the tallest office tower in the city when completed. Sited on the crest of the western hill of the city, BHP House remained the most prominent building in the city for many years. It is also part of a significant precinct of 1960s and 1970s office towers. It received an Award of merit from the Victorian Institute of Architects in 1973 and the Bronze Medal in 1975. The building is located on the site of the former Menzies Hotel, one of the most prominent social landmarks in the city for over a century. BHP vacated the building in 1992 and only the exterior and the plaza remain intact.
Classified: 16/02/1994