Nauru House phosphate

peter_j

I was a bit sad to notice as I walked past Nauru House (cnr. Exhibition & Lt. Collins, Melbourne) that there were workers ringbarking the phosphate mounds in the plaza at the base of Nauru House. They appear to be ablout to cart them away.

I'm not even sure that building is still called Nauru House. The Age reported last year that the naming rights were being sold and that, "Nauruan Consulate, Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust and Air Nauru." After the phosphate menhirs go all connection to the state that built the tower will be gone. Nauru did badly with its Melbourne property speculations, leaving sites like the Southern Cross, CUB, and QV wastelands for years. The state is now bankrupt, according to The Age.

Nauru house at Emporis:
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=108427

The Age 24.08.05
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/23/1093246442266.html

Four Corners 2004: Island Raiders
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2004/s1206183.htm

Anonymous

The Nauru House forecourt is in need of a revamp. There is huge potential for much more. Don't be dissapointed if they remove the phosphate... they have removed most of it on the island of Nauru anyway!!

peter_j

I suppose. Doesn't the phosphate-less plaza look sad... looks like it's had teeth removed. I wonder where the phosphate towers ended up.

Anonymous

It seems like it is the intention of the new owners to remove any reference to the building's past, that is its association with the island of Nauru. Whilst you can understand that they want to move on and give it a new identity, I think the building will be referred to by Melbournians fondly(?) as Nauru House for some time, rather than the generic '80 Collins Street' it is now called; a bit like how 147 Collins Street (KPMG) is still referred to as the T&G Building, over twenty years after the company moved out and lost its identity in a merger. In my opinion, the owners would be wiser to retain some references to Nauru.

Peter Barrett

Anonymous

I have seen one of the two proposals for the base of Nauru House.Infill to street lines to maximise the net lettable area.Glazed retail mostly.Dull mostly.Do our cities have to be seamless streets of exemplars where any 'mistakes' such as the forecourt and lazas of Nauru Huse are healed by sensitive urbanism?Do past pomp and puffed up self-importance becomeendearing (we tolerate it in the Victorian period)?

cnolan

Nauru House has been sold and its new owners have decided to try and remove any reference to the island state. The 4 blue Nauru stars were removed from the roof in late 2005 at a cost of AUD$50,000 and the coral pinnacles that graced either side of the entrance from Collins St were removed and purchased by a local Melbournian at a cost a AUD$20,000 (maybe theyre gracing a suvurban backyard somewhere?).
The Presidential Penthouse on the 51st floor is completely intact with office and seperate bedrooms and has remained untouched by the new owners.
One piece of Nauru that still remains to this day is the art work on the interior wall of the foyer. It depicts artwork representing the 12 tribes of Nauruan peopls and includes a depiction of the threatened native Tomano tree, a native Nauruan frigate birds and even a map of Nauru showing the latitude and longitude of the island. This artworf can also be seen from the outside of the building.
Nauru was such a wealthy nation in the 1980's and to think the people are now suffering with water and electricity rations is quite unbelievable.

Sean

yes, it is a real shame about Nauru house and also the island nation of Nauru as well.

What a fall from grace.