Southern Cross Tower
Encyclopedia
Southern Cross Tower, also known as 121 Exhibition Street, is a 161-metre (530 ft) skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...

 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tower was built in 2004 and comprises 39 levels of office accommodation. The complex is a twin tower. The SX1 (or East tower) delivers 76,700 square meters of space over 39 floors. The SX2 (or West Tower) provides 45,200 square metres and 22 levels. The tower was once the location of Melbourne’s prestigious Southern Cross Hotel.

History

Before development of Southern Cross, the Victorian Government was concerned because its key departments were scattered among more than 15 office buildings throughout the Melbourne CBD. It decided to consolidate financially and allow the bureaucracy closer access to Spring Street, giving it access to the Parliament
Parliament of Victoria
The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria. It follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system and consists of The Queen, represented by the Governor of Victoria; the Legislative Council ; and the Legislative Assembly...

 and Treasury. A consortium of private bodies, including Multiplex and Babcock and Brown
Babcock and Brown
Babcock & Brown was a global investment and advisory firm based in Sydney, Australia that went into liquidation in 2009. It was best known in financial markets for structured finance deals. The company had at its peak 28 offices and over 1,500 employees worldwide. Although headquartered in Sydney,...

, suggested a skyscraper in the location of the old and derelict Southern Cross Hotel. A key condition of the Victorian government's involvement in the project was its demand that the building be a state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable development.

Ownership

The building is 75 per cent owned by Multiplex Property Trust and 25 per cent owned by Multiplex Acumen Prime Property Fund. According to valuer Jones Lang Lasalle, the building's current market value is A$130 million and its major tenant is the Victorian State Government
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...

.

Tenants

SX1 (East Tower) is home to the Victorian Government Department of Justice
Department of Justice (Victoria)
The Department of Justice is one of ten departments of the Government of the State of Victoria, Australia.The main purpose of the department is to assist the government achieve its vision of a safe and just Victoria...

 (DOJ); Department of Transport (DOT); Department of Industry, Innovation, and Regional Development (DIIRD); and State Revenue Office.

The office of Minister for Finance Tim Holding
Tim Holding
Timothy James Holding is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1999...

 is located in SX1.

SX2 (West Tower) is home to Australia Post
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...

, EWOV and AHPRA.

Criticisms

Southern Cross Tower has been criticized for tight security and excessive use of straight lines in its design.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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