Building History
12 O’Connell Street, also known as Manufacturer’s House, is a heritage listed building in the heart of the financial district within the Sydney CBD. The nine storey building was designed by architects S. H. Buchanan and Cowper and is a classic example of an inter-war art deco style building.

The construction of the building was completed in 1935 for the NSW Chamber of Manufacturer’s, and became the headquarters for Manufacturers’ Mutual Insurance Ltd. This is how it came to receive its name, Manufacturer’s House.

The building was officially opened on 26th February, 1935 by the NSW Premier. The Premier praised the building as being “Australian built, of Australian materials”. The building also represented the return of stability to the economy after the depression of the 1920’s.

The building’s façade represents a rare example of a highly intact original face brick exterior which is achieved due to the spacing of the brick piers and the use of rustic brick and polished granite cladding. There is also some copper detailing which includes peacock style motifs.

The building received extensive refurbishment in 1984 which has been highly commended due to the upgrade of the interiors and building systems, while preserving the external features that make this building unique and earned it a heritage listing.

The property was purchased by Walker Corporation in 2007 and has been extensively refurbished internally, whilst maintaining the classic and architecturally historic exterior of the building.