The Chan Building, historically known as Block 8, was the eighth and final large government office block constructed in central Darwin during the 1960s.
It formed part of a broader Commonwealth Administrative Centre, a cluster of modernist civic buildings intended to house the administrative functions of the Northern Territory Administration and other public services.
The building was later named in honour of Harry Chan (1918–1969), a prominent Chinese-Australian businessman and former mayor of Darwin.
Designed to accommodate a range of government departments, the Chan Building featured robust modernist forms with practical concrete construction and sun-shading elements suited to Darwin’s tropical climate.
It was also used as home to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly between 1990 and 1994 while the new Parliament House was being built on the State Square precinct.
In the mid-2010s there were proposals to refurbish the building for cultural use, but these plans were not realised.
In September 2020 the Chan Building was demolished as part of the Civic and State Square revitalisation project, and the site has since been redeveloped as Chan Lawns, a green open space for public events and community use.
Although the building no longer stands, its role as the last of Darwin’s mid-century government office blocks and as a temporary home for the Legislative Assembly marks it as an important chapter in the Territory’s urban and civic architectural history.
More information on the building and it’s history can be found here.
Heritage Status: Not Listed (demolished).
It formed part of a broader Commonwealth Administrative Centre, a cluster of modernist civic buildings intended to house the administrative functions of the Northern Territory Administration and other public services.
The building was later named in honour of Harry Chan (1918–1969), a prominent Chinese-Australian businessman and former mayor of Darwin.
Designed to accommodate a range of government departments, the Chan Building featured robust modernist forms with practical concrete construction and sun-shading elements suited to Darwin’s tropical climate.
It was also used as home to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly between 1990 and 1994 while the new Parliament House was being built on the State Square precinct.
In the mid-2010s there were proposals to refurbish the building for cultural use, but these plans were not realised.
In September 2020 the Chan Building was demolished as part of the Civic and State Square revitalisation project, and the site has since been redeveloped as Chan Lawns, a green open space for public events and community use.
Although the building no longer stands, its role as the last of Darwin’s mid-century government office blocks and as a temporary home for the Legislative Assembly marks it as an important chapter in the Territory’s urban and civic architectural history.
More information on the building and it’s history can be found here.
Heritage Status: Not Listed (demolished).