Rialto Towers - The Rialto (Greater Melbourne)

Australia / Victoria / Melbourne / Greater Melbourne / Collins Street
 building, office building, skyscraper
The Rialto Towers (often The Rialto) is the second-tallest reinforced concrete building and the tallest office building in the Southern Hemisphere, when measured to its roof (several other skyscrapers in Australia are taller if their spires are included, as are some other structures in Australia such as communications masts and observation towers). Mounted atop the building is a 19 metre antenna, which does not count toward its overall height according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's Height to Architectural Top category. The building is located at 525 Collins Street, in the western side of the central business district of Melbourne, Australia.

The site of the Rialto Towers was occupied by Robb's Buildings, a grand classical styled 5 storey Victorian office building designed by Thomas Watts and Sons (and reputedly the tallest in Melbourne in 1885), and a 1920s building of the same size. The site was owned by the National Mutual Life Association. Located adjacent to the Rialto Building and the Winfield Building, both historic buildings dating from the late 19th century which formed part of a height limited uniform streetscape which continued to the site of the Rialto towers, the corner of King and Collins Streets. Little progress was made until 1980 when the site was acquired by Grollo Australia. Despite the structural integrity of Robb's buildings and objections by the National Trust of Victoria, Grocon argued that the retention of Robb's Buildings would spoil the effect of the proposed building and that as it would not integrate well with the new structure, the Rialto should have its own modern concrete and glass podium.
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Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rialto_Towers
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Coordinates:   37°49'7"S   144°57'26"E

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This article was last modified 8 years ago