Opinion – Leo Scofield’s column

My Tasmania

by Leo Scofield

The Mercury, Saturday Magazine 13 November 2010

EXCERPT:

It would be interesting to know just how many members the group known as Save 10 Murray St has. I am all for preserving important buildings of any period, but it seems to me that 10 Murray ranks about 99^th on the list of top 100 threatened buildings in Tasmania. That it’s a rare example of a 1950s modernist building is unarguable. But whether it’s an important building is another matter.

Its fans claim that it’s the best Tasmanian example of an office high-rise of this period is like saying Auschwitz is the best example of a Polish concentration camp. It’s not a dog but it’s transcendently undistinguished.

And if, as the chairman of the Heritage Council says, more than two thousand buildings need assessing, there are more important sites to be considered.

Richard Francis Jones, the man in charge of replacing this over-hyped building with something classier, it one of the most highly regarded architects practising in Australia.

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Article – 10 always for demolition

10 always for demolition

by CHARLES WATERHOUSE   |

The Mercury, October 07, 2010 12.01am

THE retention of 10 Murray St was not considered to any great degree in designing the Parliament Square development, an architect told an appeal hearing yesterday.

But Richard Francis-Jones said the removal of the top four floors was considered, and expanding remaining floors.

Mr Francis-Jones, who helped design developer Citta’s proposal, was the first person to give evidence at a hearing by the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal into objections to approval of the development by the Sullivans Cove Waterfront Authority.

The main objector is the Save 10 Murray group.

Mr Francis-Jones said it would be possible to refit 10 Murray St for office space but limitations existed to recycling the building, although it would be technically feasible.

He disagreed with a proposition from Shaun McElwaine, appearing for the objectors, that 10 Murray St had a “very strong, solid form which defines the building edge of Murray St”.

Mr Francis-Jones said if the former government printery building at 2-4 Salamanca Place and 10 Murray St were retained, “you probably don’t end up with the public open space” that is intended by the Citta development.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE:  http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/10/07/177431_tasmania-news.html

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