ICI House and the birth of discretionary tall building control in Melbourne (1945–1965)

Abstract

In Melbourne, the modernist landmark of ICI House, a tall office building completed in 1958, is symbolic of urban development trends that, after World War II, dissolved building regulations based on height limits. Six decades later, ICI House—the iconic slab of glass and aluminium designed by Bates, Smart & McCutcheon—still represents the point of transition that transformed Melbourne into the tall building city of the present—a city in which architects and builders continue to challenge regulations and propose new ones on a project-specific basis. Documents held at Public Record Office Victoria provide important insights into the events that led to ICI House being approved. The story of IC..