Progress of construction of ICI House

Construction began on ICI House (now known as the Orica house) in 1955. It was completed in November 1958 and officially opened on 11 December 1958. It was the first building allowed to exceed Melbourne’s height limits set in the early 1900s, and until 1961 was the tallest building in Australia.

Among other innovations, ICI House exploited advances in local construction techniques, including framed glazed curtain walls and the use of concrete for flooring. It was an Australian take on international-style modernism.