ICI House in Melbourne broke records when completed in 1958. Discover insights into its glass curtain wall design and how it is expected to be impacted by ever-hotter heatwaves.
By Lachlan Haycock and Heath Dunn
For many decades, new buildings in Sydney were higher than those in Melbourne. Then along came ICI House, just to the east of the city’s Hoddle grid.
The structure broke Melbourne’s existing height limit by almost 44 m, and heralded a new wave of modern skyscraper construction.
The original architect was Bates Smart McCutcheon. The structure was designed by John Connell and Associates, with assistance from the civil engineering department of the University of Melbourne.
Now known as Orica House, the building is a noteworthy example of Australian heritage engineering.
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