User:Trevgoodchild/sandbox

History
The Torbreck complex was constructed in 1958-1960, and was the first multi-storeyed home unit development in Queensland. Rising prominently from the crest of Highgate Hill, Torbreck comprises 150 units spread across an eight-storey garden block and a fourteen-storey tower block, surrounded by landscaped gardens on a one and a half acre site. The complex was designed by Queensland architects A.H. Job and R.P. Froud, whose design ideas and innovative use of old and new materials were adaptations of the post-war International Style, in particular the North American model. At the time of its conception, Torbreck received support from the Queensland Government which considered high-density residential developments of this kind as one possible solution to Brisbane’s emerging suburban sprawl. After construction, the project’s developer, Torbeck Pty Ltd (later Torbreck Home Units Ltd), retained company title over the units. Unit owners became share holders in the company to the value of their unit’s purchase price, an arrangement that has persisted despite the introduction of the more popular strata title option in 1965. Torbreck remains substantially intact and continues to rank as one of Brisbane’s most prominent architectural landmarks.

Significance
The construction of Torbreck pioneered the market for this type of multi-storeyed home unit development (based on 1950s North American models) in Queensland. The Torbreck complex is a good example of 1950s architectural and landscape design in its form, attention to climate control and use of materials. It is a prominent landmark of inner suburban Brisbane and a symbol of the city’s post war aspirations for modernity. The Garden Block is an early use of lift slab construction in Queensland. A good example of post war international style, particularly the North American model, which had a strong impact on architecture in Queensland in the 1950s.