
I first remember this building as the administration office of the RACQ who bought the building in 1966, and then after being sold again in 1983 it became the Credit Union Australia building. Even as a teenager I liked this building because it was different from most others.
Constructed during the war years, the building was originally the head office for Queensland Brewery Company, who moved here from their earlier headquarters in Queen St. The design was from Mr HS McDonald of Addison & McDonald. The Queensland Heritage pages say this about it: "The design was a departure from accepted forms for commercial buildings in Queensland at the time. McDonald fused the assertive curves and angles of the Art Deco with the flowing horizontal lines of the Functionalist movement. This latter style was characterised by its simple geometric shapes, its light colours and large glass areas. The building also exemplified the use of new materials like the original glass brick of the circular entry tower and the synthetic stone of the original signage. Both these elements have since been removed."

The photograph above was taken not long after the completion of the building in 1942, and shows a military parade passing by on the way up Ann St towards the city.
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What a great looking building, love the bulk and dominance of it and the central entrance feature is brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI think that it's one of the loveliest buildings in the city!
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