Academics and heritage authority at odds over university building by NGV architect

September 28, 2026 — 1:01pmA university building by the modernist architect who designed the National Gallery of Victoria is a step closer to the wrecking ball, after Heritage Victoria decided not to back it for protection.The University of Melbourne plans to replace the twin brick John Medley Building, which faces Grattan Street and forms a gateway to the Parkville campus, with a new central education building envisioned as a “welcoming front door” and “central hub for teaching, learning and campus life”.Academics have been pushing for the building to be on the Victorian Heritage Register, arguing it is a significant work by architect Sir Roy Grounds, who was a student at the university before building city landmarks such as the NGV and Arts Centre Melbourne.The John Medley Building was designed by Australian modernist architect Sir Roy Grounds and opened in 1971. Paul JeffersHowever, Heritage Victoria executive director Steven Avery has recommended the site not be included on the register, and said the 1971 structure was “not a pivotal example of the class” of modernist postwar university buildings.Avery said buildings such as the university’s Beaurepaire Centre and Wilsons Hall, opened in the 1950s, were examples that defined the state’s modernist campus architecture and were on the register.“While the John Medley Building is a refined and attractive example of a postwar university building, it could not be considered architecturally notable when compared to examples already included in the [register],” Avery wrote.Grounds also designed iconic Melbourne landmarks including the Arts Centre Melbourne and the NGV. Mark GambinoThe Heritage Council of Victoria, which has the final say, is yet to decide whether to grant the building protection and is currently assessing submissions, with the likelihood of a hearing that will delay an outcome until next year.Tony Lee, an expert on Australian modernist architects such as Robin Boyd, said Grounds knew the campus, where he had studied, lectured and served on the building committee, and the university handpicked him to design the building.“He’s been very deliberately tying the building in with the university context, not just creating a building that is philosophically driven,” Lee said.Still, Lee said a key issue was a lack of documentation of Grounds’ work outside his designs in Melbourne’s arts precinct. “No one has put it in the context of his whole career. And I think it’s a very special building because, being a later building, it really shows the development of a mature architect.”The gateway created by the John Medley Building at the University of Melbourne.Paul JeffersThe John Medley Building, Lee said, incorporates medieval and Renaissance influences such as a walkway bridge that serves as a “gateway to the university” and thin windows that reference arrow slits. The slits lean into an Italian movement known as neo-liberty that borrowed from the past and foreshadowed postmodernism.“There are a lot of pure examples of all sorts of styles, but it’s these transition buildings that help tell the story to connect these periods,” he said.“It’s probably the best building in Victoria and maybe even more widely in Australia of neo-liberty.”The National Trust is opposed to the demolition of the building on environmental grounds. Samantha Westbrooke, the organisation’s executive manager of advocacy and conservation, said the university should be doing more to consider the impact of tearing the building down.“We need people to be calculating the embodied energy that we lose when we demolish these types of buildings, and it should be factored into the demolition and rebuilding,” she said. “It’s more expensive from an environmental perspective, regardless of what you get at the other end.”An artist’s impression of the University of Melbourne’s entrance without the John Medley Building.The University of Melbourne spent $4.5 million refurbishing the building a decade ago. However, the plans to demolish the building were unveiled as part of a masterplan in 2023 that aims to “unite the campus with the city”.The university’s chief operating officer, Katerina Kapobassis, said campuses needed plans for the long term “to meet the changing needs of research, teaching and students” while also “retaining their significance, layered history and connection to community”.More than 58 per cent of the university’s infrastructure comes under various heritage protection, and Melbourne University said it prioritised the conservation, adaptation and refurbishment of existing buildings.“However, where new development is necessary to meet functional and performance requirements, sustainability is embedded through integrated design, low-carbon outcomes, and a whole-of-lifecycle approach to materials, resources and environmental performance,” a university spokesperson said.“Redevelopment of the John Medley Building site will deliver a purpose-built teaching building that will become a focal point for student learning and community engagement at Parkville.”A Heritage Council Victoria spokesperson said submissions were being considered on the building’s heritage status, and parties would be notified of any hearing scheduled.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.Jackson Graham is an education reporter at The Age. He was previously an explainer reporter.Connect via email.From our partners