Developer challenges Melbourne car park’s heritage listing

The owners of Melbourne’s Total House, AXF Group, are challenging the building's heritage listing with the intention of demolishing the building to make way for a new 70 storey hotel and apartment tower.

In May, Heritage Victoria gave the site at 170-190 Russell Street, its heritage listing, declaring it of cultural heritage significance for the state. The committee noted that it “is a notable, highly intact, distinctive and early example of Brutalist architecture in Victoria”.

AFX Group argue that as the property was not previously included in the Melbourne Planning Scheme Heritage Overlay that it was not considered of local, let alone state, significance. However, the nominators argued that the omission was an administrative error.

Currently, there is a campaign to protect the building from Melbourne Heritage Action, who worked to put Total House, currently a car park, on the heritage register after hearing it had been purchased by a developer in 2012.

Photo courtesy of the State Library of Victoria, via Melbourne Heritage Action.