The Panorama Building in Chatswood, Sydney is set for redevelopment, with a State Significant Development (SSD) application being lodged seeking permission for demolition.

Standing 14 storeys high with office tenancies, the 54-metre tall building will be replaced by a much taller 263-metre structure with 61 floors, offering 506 new apartments. The SSD application means NSW Planning will make the final call about the proposed development and not the Willoughby City Council. With the Panorama Building not listed as a heritage property despite its history, and the Council not planning to seek a heritage order, the redevelopment of the site, currently owned by a trust, is expected to proceed further.

The building goes by many names: Originally christened the BMA Tower, it is currently called the Panorama Building, with colloquial references to "that crazy spaceship building"[1], the latter likely inspired by its unique curved design – which was considered ahead of its time from an architectural perspective – and the outdoor glass elevator that still evokes awe-inspiring memories from people about the ride to the rooftop.

Designed by Hungarian-born architect Hugo Stossel in the modernist style, the building was officially opened on October 16, 1972 ahead of schedule as claimed by the building contractor, K.F. Chilman Pty. Ltd[1]. The construction was completed in 14 months despite the complex design and the building was the tallest in Chatswood at the time. However, the Panorama Building is not really considered one of the best works by Stossel, who is well-known for introducing his modernist designs to Sydney and Australian architecture.

Panorama Chatswood © Roberto Portolese2.jpg

Born in 1905 in Hungary, Stossel studied architecture, first in Rome, Italy and then in Vienna, Austria, completing his studies in 1932 before moving to Bucharest in 1933 to work as an architect. For the next five years, he designed several commercial buildings, apartment towers, cafes and even theatre interiors, leaving Europe ahead of the Second World War and arriving in Sydney in 1939 – one of the many European-descent immigrants who chose to move to Australia during this tumultuous period. However, the existing rules of the NSW Board of Architects prevented his registration as an architect until 1947. During this period, he worked with a construction company involved in government contractual projects.

Stossel restarted his design career by designing modernist houses for several European immigrants on Sydney's North Shore in the post-war period, with the homes drawing attention for their bold geometry and open living layouts with outdoor spaces, and appearing in popular architectural magazines[2]. Over the next four decades until the 1980s, he designed a broad range of building typologies from homes, apartments and offices to hotels and schools, establishing his reputation as a modernist architect in Australia alongside fellow European émigré architects, all practitioners of Bauhaus modernism. Some of Stossel’s Sydney buildings are on the pathway to heritage status including mid-century modern apartment developments in Elizabeth Bay and Darling Point while a few are being considered for redevelopment after demolition, following a trend of replacing older buildings in urban areas with high density developments – mostly residential towers.

Public discussion about the Panorama Building and its proposed demolition around a social media post by @northshorelorikeet indicates a wave of nostalgia from local residents. One remembers thinking it was a "terribly fancy" building when it was newly opened. For many, the memories are linked to family moments at the rooftop restaurants, beginning with a European fine dining venue called Chatties, which was replaced later by a Chinese restaurant, Moon Terrace. A few have deeply personal memories of the iconic building, with one recalling being the Council's building inspector on the project, while another said his father installed the elevator![1]

With the site situated along the Pacific Highway, convenient connections to Chatswood train and metro stations, and quick access to shopping centres and the Macquarie Park, the proposed mixed-use development comes with default locational advantages for future residents and occupants. Its lack of heritage status, low occupancy and Sydney’s housing need may pave the way for its approval and future development.

References:

[1] https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTMslOXkgW9/

[2] https://www.rwebay.com.au/hugo-stossel-mid-century-architect/

Images: The Panorama Building in Chatswood, Sydney (Image credit: © Roberto Portolese | Source: https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/chatswood-chambers/19901)

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