Sydney's Iconic Sirius Building Has Been Saved (Well, At Least for Now)

The iconic Sirius building will remain standing — at least for the time being — after the State Government's plans to have it demolished were defeated in court on Tuesday afternoon.

One of the more famous examples of brutalist architecture left in Sydney, the apartment block in The Rocks has been the subject of fierce debate since the NSW Government announced its intentions to demolish the building to make way for luxury apartments. But according to judge Simon Molesworth, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, former heritage minister Mark Speakman failed to correctly apply the Heritage Act when he opted not to list the building on the State Heritage Register.

According to SMH, the verdict was greeted with cheers by public campaigners in the courtroom. This marks a major victory for the Save Our Sirius group, who have long held that the building is an important part of Sydney's history.

Current heritage minister Gabrielle Upton will now be forced to reconsider the building's heritage status with proper consideration to the Heritage Act. However Save Our Sirius president Shaun Carter has called on Premier Gladys Berejiklian to let the building stand.

"Gladys, we ask you to hit pause," said Carter outside the courtroom following the ruling.

Labor MP Luke Foley said the decision was a great win, telling reporters, "We need to find more social and affordable housing in this city and the Sirius should and can be part of that."

Via The Sydney Morning Herald. Images: Barton Taylor, Katherine Lu.