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APA Building, Sydney
The APA Building is a heritage-listed office building located at 53–63 Martin Place in the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by David King and built in 1936 by Kell & Rigby. From 2004 to October 2021, the building most notably housed a Lindt chocolate café on the eastern side of the ground floor. The café came to international attention during the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis, thus being commonly referred to as the Lindt café siege. The building was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
The development of a new headquarters building for the Australian Provincial Assurance Association in Martin Place was intrinsically connected to the development of Martin Place itself. When on 8 April 1936, the extension of Martin Place to Macquarie Street was opened, a series of development sites along each side of the new thoroughfare were made available by the City of Sydney. The first two sites sold were those between Elizabeth and Phillip Streets. The northern block was sold to the Rural Bank of New South Wales and the southern block was purchased by the Australian Provincial Assurance Company on 23 May 1935 for £83,000.
David King, a young architect, was appointed to prepare a design for the project and to oversee the construction. The brief was to erect premises to the full building height, and to design in conformity with that of the surrounding buildings. The contract was let to builders Kell & Rigby following the calling of tenders in February 1936 and construction began in early June 1936, subsequent to five months of preliminary work and excavation. The structural systems selected for the project was that in common use at that time, a structural steel frame with reinforced concrete floor slabs and concrete encasement to the steel work. This composite systems allowed for extremely rapid construction of the superstructure and work on the steel frame commenced on 3 June 1936 and was completed on 17 September, a period of fifteen weeks.
The building was opened in May 1937 and was considered successful by the press of the period. The first tenant was the Australian Provincial Assurance Association who occupied the ground floor, three quarters of the first floor and all of the basement, but other floors were taken by the legal firm of Allen, Allen and Hemsley, by a government department and several smaller organisations, including the architectural practice of David King himself. The lower ground floor was occupied for many years by a quality restaurant (Cahill's) with direct access from Elizabeth Street via steps.
With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, many of the tenants, including the APA, relocated to other premises and the Department of Manpower effectively took over the building. Exceptions to this move were the practices of both Allen, Allen and Hemsley, and David King. It was during this period that the western half of the twelfth floor was completed. This level had previously been completed at the eastern end only, due to the 150 foot high limit affecting the building differentially in regard to the change of level between Elizabeth and Phillip Streets. The eastern end had been used as a caretaker's flat, with the western half utilised as a roof garden.
After 1945 the APA resumed occupation of the building and were to remain in residence until 1989. In 1987 the APA which was undergoing restructuring finally sold the building to Noden Pty Ltd. In August 1989 the building was sold to the Charter Property Group.
On 15–16 December 2014 the Lindt Chocolate Cafe on the ground floor of the Phillip Street frontage was the scene of the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis, when a lone gunman held staff and customers as hostages. The siege resulted in the death of two hostages, Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson, and also the death of the gunman Man Haron Monis. After the siege, memorial flower bouquets filled nearby areas of Martin Place and many Sydneysiders came to Martin Place to mourn and reflect. Subsequent memorial services were held in the city at the nearby St Mary's Cathedral and St James' Church, and condolence books were set up in other Lindt cafes.
The APA Building occupies a site with a frontage of 37 metres (123 ft) to the south side of Martin Place. The block extends through from Elizabeth to Phillip Streets, has a frontage on these two streets of 17 metres (57 ft) and the main entry is located on the central axis of the Martin Place elevation. The building is limited by the 46 metres (150 ft) height limit in force at the time. It consists of twelve main floors, a lower ground floor and basement and a set back roof (12th) floor with an intermediate tower floor and lift motor room over.
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APA Building, Sydney AI simulator
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APA Building, Sydney
The APA Building is a heritage-listed office building located at 53–63 Martin Place in the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by David King and built in 1936 by Kell & Rigby. From 2004 to October 2021, the building most notably housed a Lindt chocolate café on the eastern side of the ground floor. The café came to international attention during the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis, thus being commonly referred to as the Lindt café siege. The building was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
The development of a new headquarters building for the Australian Provincial Assurance Association in Martin Place was intrinsically connected to the development of Martin Place itself. When on 8 April 1936, the extension of Martin Place to Macquarie Street was opened, a series of development sites along each side of the new thoroughfare were made available by the City of Sydney. The first two sites sold were those between Elizabeth and Phillip Streets. The northern block was sold to the Rural Bank of New South Wales and the southern block was purchased by the Australian Provincial Assurance Company on 23 May 1935 for £83,000.
David King, a young architect, was appointed to prepare a design for the project and to oversee the construction. The brief was to erect premises to the full building height, and to design in conformity with that of the surrounding buildings. The contract was let to builders Kell & Rigby following the calling of tenders in February 1936 and construction began in early June 1936, subsequent to five months of preliminary work and excavation. The structural systems selected for the project was that in common use at that time, a structural steel frame with reinforced concrete floor slabs and concrete encasement to the steel work. This composite systems allowed for extremely rapid construction of the superstructure and work on the steel frame commenced on 3 June 1936 and was completed on 17 September, a period of fifteen weeks.
The building was opened in May 1937 and was considered successful by the press of the period. The first tenant was the Australian Provincial Assurance Association who occupied the ground floor, three quarters of the first floor and all of the basement, but other floors were taken by the legal firm of Allen, Allen and Hemsley, by a government department and several smaller organisations, including the architectural practice of David King himself. The lower ground floor was occupied for many years by a quality restaurant (Cahill's) with direct access from Elizabeth Street via steps.
With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, many of the tenants, including the APA, relocated to other premises and the Department of Manpower effectively took over the building. Exceptions to this move were the practices of both Allen, Allen and Hemsley, and David King. It was during this period that the western half of the twelfth floor was completed. This level had previously been completed at the eastern end only, due to the 150 foot high limit affecting the building differentially in regard to the change of level between Elizabeth and Phillip Streets. The eastern end had been used as a caretaker's flat, with the western half utilised as a roof garden.
After 1945 the APA resumed occupation of the building and were to remain in residence until 1989. In 1987 the APA which was undergoing restructuring finally sold the building to Noden Pty Ltd. In August 1989 the building was sold to the Charter Property Group.
On 15–16 December 2014 the Lindt Chocolate Cafe on the ground floor of the Phillip Street frontage was the scene of the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis, when a lone gunman held staff and customers as hostages. The siege resulted in the death of two hostages, Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson, and also the death of the gunman Man Haron Monis. After the siege, memorial flower bouquets filled nearby areas of Martin Place and many Sydneysiders came to Martin Place to mourn and reflect. Subsequent memorial services were held in the city at the nearby St Mary's Cathedral and St James' Church, and condolence books were set up in other Lindt cafes.
The APA Building occupies a site with a frontage of 37 metres (123 ft) to the south side of Martin Place. The block extends through from Elizabeth to Phillip Streets, has a frontage on these two streets of 17 metres (57 ft) and the main entry is located on the central axis of the Martin Place elevation. The building is limited by the 46 metres (150 ft) height limit in force at the time. It consists of twelve main floors, a lower ground floor and basement and a set back roof (12th) floor with an intermediate tower floor and lift motor room over.