Hundreds of supporters gather in fresh bid to save Sydney’s famous brutalist building Sirius

Hundreds of supporters gather in fresh bid to save Sydney’s famous brutalist building Sirius

A fresh bid to save Sydney’s most famous brutalist building from the wrecking ball saw hundreds of supporters turn up to the 1970s apartment complex on Saturday for a rare glimpse inside.

The government’s ruling to evict its public housing tenants and allow the iconic building to be knocked down is yet another blow to the community of Millers Point after a swathe of government houses were sold off despite much protest in the inner-city suburb this year.
But stand-up comedian Tim Ross, who performed in the foyer of the Sirius building to a sold-out crowd, hoped that with more awareness and enough public pressure, the government would reverse its decision not to list the public housing block on the state’s heritage register.
Comedian Tim Ross performed in the Sirius Building to a sold-out audience on Saturday. Photo: Supplied
The comedian and architecture enthusiast said that by performing inside Sirius he was hoping to spark a conversation about how beautiful and important the building was.
“People have been conditioned to think it’s ugly, but people’s opinions can change,” he said.
He warned that by knocking down significant buildings like Sirius, a cultural vacuum was being created in Sydney. “It’s a city in decline and the finger has to be pointed at these middle-class suburban men.”
The Sirius public housing building will not be heritage listed Photo: Wolter Peeters
Despite the Heritage Council unanimously recommending the building be heritage listed for its aesthetic and historic merit, NSW Environment and Heritage Minister Mark Speakman rejected the request in July.

“Everything about [the decision] is absurd. They personally don’t like it, so that’s the end of it,” Ross said.
“They love [artistic events like] Vivid but Vivid doesn’t happen without the cultural class.”
Stand-up comedian Tim Ross offered guests a rare glimpse inside Sirius. Photo: Ingrid Fuary-Wagner
Along with renewed public pressure, Shaun Carter, NSW Chapter President of the Australian Institute of Architects, said they were also crowdfunding for legal action to have the minister’s decision annulled.
Mr Carter believed the government had not considered all the information about Sirius before making his decision.
But Mr Speakman said he would not be persuaded to revoke his decision on the non-heritage status of Sirius.
The Philip Room inside the Sirius building was packed for a performance by Tim Ross. Photo: Ingrid Fuary-Wagner
“Listing the Sirius building on the State Heritage Register would have come at a huge opportunity cost, possibly in the order of about $70 million which can be used to fund approximately 240 extra social housing properties,” Mr Speakman said.
He acknowledged that while a financial sacrifice was often appropriate to maintain heritage, in this case the cost greatly outweighed any heritage value of the building.
 “I made my decision after careful consideration and have no intention of changing it.”
The view of the Sydney Opera House from one of the apartments in the Sirius Complex Photo: Ingrid Fuary-Wagner
But Mr Carter still holds high hopes for the future of Sirius.
“I think the decision is political. He [the Minister] is smart but I think his hand is being forced.
“The rest of the world seems to have got the memo on brutalist architecture, and there’s not a whole lot of it.
“You could list it, renovate it, it’s a valuable site for anyone. It could even be turned into a boutique hotel.”

RESOURCED: http://www.domain.com.au/news/hundreds-of-supporters-show-up-in-fresh-bid-to-save-sydneys-famous-brutalist-building-sirius-20160820-gqxc5z/