Torrens Building
Office, Education in Adelaide, Australia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Torrens Building, named after Sir Robert Richard Torrens, is a State Heritage-listed building on the corner of Victoria Square and Wakefield Street in Adelaide, South Australia. It was originally known as the New Government Offices, and after that a succession of names reflecting its tenants, including as New Public Offices, the Lands Titles Office, and Engineering & Water Supply Department. It has been home to a number of government departments for much of its existence, and it currently holds offices for the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment (OCPSE) as part of the Government of South Australia.
Torrens Building | |
---|---|
Former names | Government Offices |
General information | |
Type | Office, Education |
Architectural style | Italian Renaissance, Palladian |
Location | Adelaide, Australia |
Address | 220 Victoria Square/Tarndanyangga |
Construction started | 1879 |
Completed | 8 April 1881 |
Renovated | 1997 |
Cost | approx. £60,000 |
Owner | Government of South Australia |
Technical details | |
Floor area | 3,653 square metres (39,320 sq ft) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Michael Egan (Melbourne) |
Main contractor | James Shaw |
The construction of the building created some controversy in 1880 when it was reported that the Government of South Australia was going to import freestone for its construction from Sydney, rather than use stone from local quarries.
The building was heritage-listed in 1978 (Register of the National Estate) and 1981 (SA Heritage Register), and underwent a major renovation from 1993 until its reopening on 19 September 1997.[1]
It has housed the Australian campus of the Carnegie Mellon University from 2006 to 2022 and Torrens University opened its first campus there in 2014. Cranfield University (UK) had a campus in the building from 2007 to 2010 and the University College London from 2009 to 2017.