Communities and heritage

Communities and heritage

Wharves to the world

North Wharf and the World Trade Centre are researching our formation, history and foundation to hopefully create a new precinct – one which engages its communities and heritage.

In researching that, we have looked at world’s best examples of architecture and iconic projects that have created a sense of purpose and have respected their heritage and foundation.

Examples can be found by looking at the various world trade centres around the world.

The modern-day story of world trade centres began in the Port of New York in the 1950s, when several visionary New Yorkers planned to make downtown Manhattan the home of world commerce.

At the helm was Chase Manhattan Bank chairman David Rockefeller who founded the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Development Association with several New York-based chief executives. Together, the group created a plan to unify and revitalise their downtown areas, capitalising on the city’s global economic leadership.

The Port of New York partnered this ambitious trade centre project with a vision to create opportunity to “stimulate the flow of commerce through the port.”

It was also a chance for the agency to revamp the faltering trans-Hudson commuter rail lines, complete with a thriving new Lower Manhattan business destination to link to.

In 1962, the idea gained momentum with the US Government, with sights set on a 13-bloack area within the west side of Lower Manhattan.

The port authority selected Seattle-born architect Minoru Yamasaki to design the project, together with a team of top engineers and architects. Less than two years and more than 100 design concepts later, the port unveiled the $525 million World Trade Center plan to the public.

It was a complex of six buildings comprising 10 million square feet of office space. At its core were the Twin Towers which, at 110 stories each, would become the world’s tallest skyscrapers. Public sentiment ran from astonishment at the sheer size of the towers, to both thrill and dismay at their monolithic, modern design.

Today the World Trade Center New York, some 11 years on from being destroyed in a terrorist attack, is rebuilding its history with the second major Tower 1 nearing completion. It anchors the global headquarters of media company Condé Nast.

There are more than 300 world trade centres around the world and more are being developed, particularly throughout China.

The Port of Melbourne hosts Australia’s largest container port, with almost 3 million containers per year and is set to expand the $80 billion trade and more then double its activity over the coming decade.

Like great cities of the world, North Wharf, the Yarra River, and Docklands waterfronts play an important gateway role to our city and opportunity of support to its history and heritage.

At North Wharf, the World Trade Centre has its own goal to recreate its modern-day history and has researched its past from the establishment of Melbourne.

As it embarks on a journey to create a renewed waterfront on the Yarra River, it has discovered rich heritage in the original trading cargo shed, maritime influences and a foundation role as a gateway to our city.

There is no better example of that rich heritage than the Mission to Seafarers building, and its important role of providing support to both its heritage and to the community, as well as its vital support to seafarers.

As Melbourne focuses more on its international trade, through its major expansion of the Port of Melbourne, the role of neighboring precincts, and particularly the Mission to Seafarers, is vital.

With the World Trade Centre, we hope to play an important centerpiece role in supporting our city via the opportunity which exists to link our trade and maritime past within the evolution of the new North Wharf precinct.

Andrea Fleming, CEO Mission to Seafarers

Philip Hill, Group Strategic Director Asset1 WTC

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