The ES&A Bank Darwin branch at 61 Smith Street dates from 1957 and was designed by Stuart McIntosh, who served as architect-in-charge of the English, Scottish and Australian Bank's Architecture Department in Melbourne.
McIntosh had studied at the University of Melbourne under the influence of Robin Boyd and brought a fresh and progressive design sensibility to the bank's building programme across Australia from 1953 onwards.
The Darwin branch was part of a national series of ES&A buildings that established McIntosh's reputation, with notable branches also at Ringwood, Taree, Wingham, Broken Hill, Sunshine, Traralgon, Parkdale and Moe.
His finest works, at Malvern and Canberra, used deep closely-spaced cantilevered horizontal planes to achieve bold abstract sculptural facades.
The Canberra building received the 1996 RAIA ACT 25-Year Award for enduring architecture.
McIntosh was also one of the progressive Australian architects of the 1950s who contributed to the revival of rational tropical housing design.
The ES&A Managers House in Darwin from the late 1950s was elevated on steel columns with open in-line planning, cross ventilation and an entire northern elevation of steel louvres without glass, a design that foreshadowed many of the principles Troppo Architects would later develop.
The building is now occupied by NAAJA (North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency).
A brief summary of McIntosh’s life and achievements can be found here.
Heritage Status: Not Listed (demolished).