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SHR Criteria a)
[Historical significance] | 343 George Street is an extremely fine and representative example of a grand commercial banking headquarters in the Palazzo style. It contains a remarkably intact interior, its arrangements representing a fine expression of commercial and public banking operations in the inter-war years in the city of Sydney (Design 5 Architects, 2002). |
SHR Criteria b)
[Associative significance] | It was the Headquarters of one of New South Wales' most important banking companies, purpose-built to enhance the reputation of that enterprise. It is associated with architects Kent & Massie, being one of their finest buildings, and builders Stuart Brother, both prominent in commercial buildings operations in Sydney and in the early 20th century (Design 5 Architects, 2002). |
SHR Criteria c)
[Aesthetic significance] | 343 George Street has the ability to demonstrate extremely fine design qualities of both structure, form, decoration, fittings, fixings and furniture. It also incorporates workmanship and design of the very highest quality in the State. The design and execution of both Australian and Carrara marble is unique in NSW. The circular Chubb vault door was the first to be imported and remains one of only two in the Southern Hemisphere, the other being in the Commonwealth Bank in Martin Place (Design 5 Architects, 2002). |
SHR Criteria d)
[Social significance] | As the former Headquarters of one of New South Wale's most important banks, 343 George Street may retain special associations with former clients and employees (this has not been researched for this report) (Design 5 Architects, 2002). |
SHR Criteria e)
[Research potential] | The design, craftsmanship and technology evident in the building, its fittings and finishes are fine and increasingly rare examples of the very high quality of construction and workmanship (Design 5 Architects, 2002). |
SHR Criteria f)
[Rarity] | The interior public areas of this building - the main banking hall and foyer areas of the lower ground floor are of a type and scale now rare in Sydney and beyond. It is the finest marble finished banking chamber in New South Wales retaining its original furniture, fixings and finishings intact. It also contains one of only two circular Chubb vault doors of their type in the southern hemisphere (Design 5 Architects, 2002). |
SHR Criteria g)
[Representativeness] | 343 George Street demonstrates all the qualities and attributes of the headquarters of a major 20th century national bank. In its quality and intactness - public areas and private banking offices - it is a remarkable survivor of a class of commercial buildings, now considered irrelevant to the image of the modern commercial bank. Most other redundant banking chambers of this type have been generally altered beyond recognition due to changes in use (Design 5 Architects, 2002). |
| Assessment criteria: | Items are assessed against the  State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection. |
