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RE: RACA Heritage Building and Future Potential Development

To RACA members, This letter is a response to the website renewourclub.com.au and their call for a request to review the heritage listed Royal Automobile Club (RAC) building located on 89 Macquarie Street and to identify its future potential to deliver the best future for the building and the Club. About the Author: Michael Harrison is an urban design and urban planning advisor to all levels of Government and major developers. With over more than 35 years in Sydney, Michael brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, working closely with many of Sydney’s leading heritage, architectural, engineering and planning consultants. He is also qualified to volunteer advice to RAC members and administration on how to best consider the future of the building. Michael’s credentials are further outlined at the end of this letter. Appreciation + Background: The RACA Building and its heritage

The 1928 building designed by H E Ross and Swan is an Interwar Commercial Palazzo architectural style and a particularly fine and rare example according to the heritage listing. The major features are the face brickwork and stonework and steel windows of the facades and the interior spaces such as the main entry hall with marble floor, members bar with its coffered ceiling and lead light glazed dome and major function and circulation areas with richly detailed spaces that retain important original character (see Figure 1).

The building is 7 storeys comprising parking at Circular Quay level 1, gymnasium at Level 2, function room/billiard room and business centre at Level 3, reception/members bar/Pioneers Room at level 4, accommodation rooms at levels 5 and 6, and the Harbour Dining room at Level 7.

The building has the following heritage status:

o It is a state and locally heritage listed item (SHR No.0700 and Item

1868 respectively). o The national heritage agency has a proposal pending to identify an

area of heritage significance based on the Government Domain which includes Macquarie St and the buildings fronting Macquarie Street.

o The building is within the Sydney Opera House World Heritage Area and within Council’s Macquarie Street Special Character Area.

o Several approval authorities would be involved regarding significant changes to the building such as adding additional levels. The authorities include Sydney City Council, the NSW Heritage Council, the national heritage agency as well as major stakeholders such as the National Trust, nearby landowners, and possibly the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust.

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Fig. 1 – Exterior and interior views of the RACA Building Limitations of the RACA Building: The limitations of changes to the building are:

While the heritage quality of the facades and several interior spaces are important to retain (and restore/repair in parts), upgrading of several interior spaces including the accommodation rooms is desirable. The longstanding hoarding over the footpath in Albert St indicate that urgent repairs are needed to the Albert St façade.

The structural capacity of the building to support additional levels needs structural engineering advice. The original architectural drawings noted that the building could take an additional 4 levels.

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The planning controls are confusing. The statutory height limit would allow an additional 9 or 10 levels but Council’s Development Control Plan states no further height should be allowed. Council’s heritage inventory states that up to 4 additional levels may be possible. In 1993 the Minister for Planning approved an additional 3 storeys following the advice of a specifically appointed Commission of Inquiry for the future of the RACA building.

The relationship to neighbouring buildings is a planning approval consideration. Given impact on views from Quay ApartmentsTower (adjacent to the west) and the Intercontinental Hotel, any vertical extension would expect to receive significant local opposition (the nearby Sir Stamford redevelopment proposal is still not resolved after many years).

What we could have - the potential of the building There are several options to consider:

1. Upgrades and changes to some interior spaces should be subject to a specific heritage and archtectural study.

2. Repair of parts of the external facades: this is urgent and subject to funding.

3. Utilise the Council’s “Heritage Floor Space” transfer system where the RACA can sell awarded heritage floor space after conservation works have been done and the heritage floor space is listed on Council’s register. The value of such space in the current market is about $1,500/sqm that could yield in the order of $4.8million accordomg to my preliminary calculations..

4. A new one- or two-level rooftop space that could be a Club restaurant/bar commanding great views and freeing up level 7 for another revenue generating use or further accommodation.. Planning and heritage approval is likely to be straight forward (Figure.2 shows a diagram of such an extension).

5. A 3-4 storey vertical extension for a rooftop restaurant/bar and 2 or 3 levels of additional accommodation or other revenue generating uses. Such an extension is consistent with an earlier approval but is likely to be subject to considerable public and authority scrutiny to the extent that planning and heritage approval is far from certain.

6. A 9-10 level vertical extension for revenue generating uses such as office

space and increased accommodation. Such an extension is consistent with the statutory height limit but is fraught with planning and heritage approval risk to the point of being most uncertain if not impossible. Structural capacity of the existing building to take the additional levels is unlikely meaning that additional columns would need to penetrate the existing building which may not be possible given impacts on heritage interiors (Figure.3 shows a 9 level vertical exrension).

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Fig. 2 - Two-level rooftop space (Option 4). This option is most likely to be achievable.

Fig. 3 - Nine-level vertical extension (Option 6). This option is unlikely to be achievable given heritage, structural and planning constraints. Conclusion While all options should be considered, the most logical and straight forward options are 1, 2, 3, and 4. Such consideration should be done by expert professional advice employing Sydney’s leading heritage, structural engineering, architectural and urban planning consultants and coordinated by an independent development manager highly experienced in State listed heritage buildings and development feasibility to maximise the benefit to the Club and minimise financial risk.

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In considering the vertical extension options, the right consultant team could undertake an initial feasibility at modest cost to determine the scale of the vertical extension including discussions with Sydney City Council and the State Heritage Office. Regards

Michael Harrison Strategic Advisor, Architectus Urban Design and Urban Planning M City Plng M Arch (UPenn) FPIA FAIA RACA member 93618 and part of the renewourclub.com.au team Credentials

Michael has over 35 years’ experience in urban design and urban planning in Sydney. He was

Executive Director of Sydney City Council in charge of the City’s planning controls from 2007-

2011, and Director of consulting firm Architectus from 1985-2006 and 2012-2018. He has

closely worked with all of the City’s leading heritage consultants, leading architects, the State

Government, most major local governments, heritage authorities, major developers and major

landowners of Central Sydney. He has led the planning approvals process for several State

Significant Developments including Sydney Modern – an extension of the NSW Art Gallery

which is State heritage listed.

He is a Fellow of both the Planning Institute of Australia and the Australian Institute of Architects

and holds a master’s degrees in City Planning and Architecture from the University of

Pennsylvania.

Michael has had a primary role in initiating major projects at Circular Quay including the street

block bounded by Alfred Pitt Daley and George Streets, the AMP Quarter, and a master plan for

the Overseas Passenger Terminal. He was also involved in the Sir Stamford Hotel

redevelopment project in Macquarie St near the site as well as the restoration of the Police and

Justice Museum opposite the RACA in Albert St.