Modernist flying saucer Toowong commercial trophy property for sale

Modernist flying saucer Toowong commercial trophy property for sale
Staff reporterOctober 11, 2016

A distinctive 1960s Toowong property has been listed for sale for $1,950,000.

The property at 583 Coronation Drive was designed by James Birrell in 1961 as the Toowong Municipal Library.

The Toowong Municipal Library was opened in April 1961 as the largest suburban library in Brisbane and designed to service the western suburbs.

The design of the timber, glass and steel framed building, a twelve sided externally framed form floating on an organic brick base, was controversial and received much attention when completed.

Birrell was chief architect of the Brisbane City Council in the period from 1955 to 1960. 

Birrell had graduated from architecture at the University of Melbourne in 1951, where he was much influenced by one of his teachers, Melbourne architect Roy Grounds. 

The library was a twelve-sided figure with suggests it had the appearance of a flying-saucer. The building was constructed for about £26 000 by local contractors Stuart Brothers in landscape gardens designed by Harry Oakman.

Closed since 2001, it has been heritage listed snce 1998 as a good example of the Melbourne School of Roy Grounds and Robin Boyd.

It has a floor area size of 403 sqm with 12 on-site car parks.

It is on a 1,629 sqm corner land parcel.

It is leased to X Radiology at $308,211 gross p.a.

"The one of a kind office space is suitable for office, medical, showroom or retail use," the C Property marketing suggests.

The property is offered through C Property agent Carl Charalambous.

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