The story of this place
As late as 1959, Lord Mayor Harry Jensen announced plans to demolish the QVB and replace it with a car park—the grand domed sandstone arcade was seen as obsolete and in the way. The people of Sydney fought back, saving the building from the wrecker's ball in the 1960s, though it then sat idle for decades as debate over its fate raged. Lord Mayor Clover Moore later reflected on saving 'this magnificent building'—a testament to heritage preservation and the power of public outcry. Pierre Cardin once called it 'the most beautiful shopping centre in the world.'