The Edmund Barton Building was constructed between 1970 and 1974 and is heritage listed. The building is a highly commended specimen and in respect for the building’s cultural and heritage significance, Baulderstone must ensure that the main fabric and elements that represent the Commonwealth Heritage Values of the building are protected.
The building sits in the parliamentary triangle in Barton, Canberra and is one of the first examples of work by Australia’s most internationally recognised architect, Harry Seidler. The building consists of 6 cores joining 7 wings around 2 large internal courtyards, has 5 floors above ground level and 1 basement level. The GFA is approx 63,000sqm and NLA is approx 45,000sqm.
The façade of the building consists of precast concrete beams (an innovative construction method at the time) with a distinctive stainless steel disc design. Ground level provides access to the building via the core areas but is not enclosed. The base building works includes for physical barriers to discourage the public from passing through the site.
The contracted refurbishment works entail the demolition and replacement of all existing services and finishes, refurbishment of lifts, replacement of façade glass, and reconfiguration of the basement. The design intent is to achieve a 5 Star Green-Star rating and a 4.5 star ABGR for the base building works.
