EXHIBITION

Celebrating partnerships: Hansen Yuncken
Exhibition dates: 29 November – 24 December, Wunderlich Gallery, Architecture Building
Opening Night:  29 November @ 6pm
RSVP: Friday 26 November to apb-events@unimelb.edu.au

Over the course of almost 100 years, Hansen Yuncken has been a contributor to the development and profile of the Australian building industry and the urban fabric of Melbourne and other cities. Hansen Yuncken operates throughout Australia and has contributed in senior and committee roles on organisations such as the Master Builders, the Australian Institute of Building, the Property Council, the National Association of Women in Construction and the Green Building Council of Australia.

Drawing on the company’s rich archival sources, this unique exhibition documents the many landmark buildings completed by Hansen Yuncken during the 20th century including, the Port Authority Building (1931), Bank of New South Wales at 360 Collins Street (1933), Myer Emporium (1931), The Age Building (1969), the Melbourne Stock Exchange (1968) and Union House at the University of Melbourne (1965). The exhibition demonstrates that innovation in construction technologies is central to Hansen Yuncken’s competitive advantage in this industry. This is evidenced by the construction, in recent years, of work such as the K2 Apartments in Windsor (2005), CH2 (2006), Waterfront City, Docklands (2008), National Icesports Centre (2009), not to mention the many hundreds of landmark projects that have been undertaken around the country.  Central to the company’s competitive practices is its focus on nurturing staff and maintaining the highest levels of safety.

The exhibition is a celebration of Hansen Yuncken’s extraordinary heritage, its iconic projects and the people who have shaped the firm. It is also a celebration of Hansen Yunken’s long-standing partnership with the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, in particular the Hansen Yuncken Prize, established in 1990 in honour of construction alumnus Michael Hansen.  The Hansen’s and their company have, in fact, been engaged with the Faculty’s construction programs since their inception in the 1950s, as a key industry advisor, supporter and employer of our graduates.

Hansen Yuncken in 20 Yearswill be of interest to construction professionals, urban planners,
Architects, cultural historians and anyone interested in how contractors can shape the collective
history of our cities.