Author(s): GOAD Philip

Architecture/Home Design

Bates Smart is one of the longest continuously practising architectural firms in the world. Established by Joseph Reed in Melbourne in 1852, the practice has developed in parallel with the growth of Australia over the last 150 years. During that time, the firm has been responsible for Melbourne's most admired and prominent buildings, beginning with the Melbourne Town Hall, 1867, and the Exhibition Building, 1880. Bates Smart's most recent history under the familiar name of Bates Smart & McCutcheon has reaffirmed its standing with innovative projects including ICI House in Melbourne in 1956 - the first lightweight steel framed high rise tower in Australia. This was complemented by the series of modernist buildings for MLC in Adelaide and Brisbane in 1953, Sydney in 1954 and Perth in 1956. Among its more recent projects are the Australian Embassy in Berlin and the Walsh Bay Wharf Development in Sydney.