Investa property group has lodged a development application with North Sydney Council to demolish the 1956 block on Miller Street and replace it with a 27-storey complex designed by architecture firm Bates Smart to increase public space in the surrounding CBD.
Architect Scott Robertson,the president of design conservation group Docomomo Australia,said the Heritage Council’s recommendation was a step in the right direction,and it was now up to Mr Harwin to consider the expert body’s advice.
“The Heritage Council has made a decision consistent with the significance of the building and it’s good news for mid-century modern architecture in the city,” Mr Robertson said.
“It does form a major impediment to its demolition.”
The Sydney Morning Herald has sought comment from Mr Harwin’s office.
Notable for its early use of a glass-curtain wall,the block is also locally protected as a heritage item on the North Sydney Local Environment Plan under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.