WTC Wharf from South Wharf, Docklands, Melbourne

WTC Wharf (formerly the World Trade Centre and WTC Northbank) is a twelve-storey

office complex An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific dut ...

on the north bank of the

Yarra River The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, (Kulin languages: ''Berrern'', ''Birr-arrung'', ''Bay-ray-rung'', ''Birarang'', ''Birrarung'', and ''Wongete'') is a perennial river in south-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stre ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

History

On 19 December 1978, the

Government of Victoria The Victoria State Government, also referred to as just the Victorian Government, is the state-level authority for Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. Like all state governments, it is formed by three independent branches: the executive ...

passed the Port of Melbourne (World Trade Centre) Act 1978, vesting the Port of Melbourne Authority with authority to construct, maintain and operate a World Trade Centre in the Port of Melbourne. The centre, an example of

Brutalist architecture Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the ba ...

, was built in the early 1980s and opened in 1983. On 30 June 1994, Melbourne's first casino,

Crown Casino Crown Melbourne (also referred to as Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex) is a casino and resort located on the south bank of the Yarra River, in Melbourne, Australia. Crown Casino is a unit of Crown Limited, and the first casino of the n ...

opened in the World Trade Centre. The location was a temporary measure while Crown's permanent home, the

Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex Crown Melbourne (also referred to as Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex) is a casino and resort located on the south bank of the Yarra River, in Melbourne, Australia. Crown Casino is a unit of Crown Limited, and the first casino of the n ...

was constructed across the Yarra river at Southbank In 1997, the centre hosted a temporary exhibition of waxworks from the

Madame Tussauds Madame Tussauds (, ) is a wax museum founded in 1835 by French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in London, spawning similar museums in major cities around the world. While it used to be spelled as "Madame Tussaud's"; the apostrophe is no longer us ...

wax museum in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Current use

The building currently houses some offices of the

headquarters Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...

Victoria Police Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the Australian States and territories of Australia, state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. It was formed in 1853 and currently operates under the ''Victoria Police Act 2013''. , Victo ...

, and the

Victoria Police Museum The Victoria Police Museum is a law enforcement museum operated by the Historical Services Unit within Victoria Police. The new state-of-the-art museum reopened to the public on Monday 25 September 2023, following a 3 year build and development. ...

, a collection of exhibits and memorabilia from over 150 years of policing in Victoria. It also houses offices for companies, including Thales Australia. The WTC shopping centre is undergoing redevelopment, including the proposed installation of an environmentally friendly air-conditioning system using water from the

.Shopping centre to use Yarra River for air cooling
''Inside Retailing'', 27 March 2008. Further redevelopment plans include construction of restaurants, cafes, a hotel, a wine store, a function centre, and a health and beauty centre.

References

External links

WTC Wharf website
{{Coord, 37.822378, S, 144.953732, E, display=title, type:landmark Buildings and structures in Melbourne City Centre World Trade Centers Brutalist architecture in Australia Port of Melbourne Kohlberg Kravis Roberts companies 1983 establishments in Australia Buildings and structures completed in 1983