Factory Building and Bus Shelter, 800 Pittwater Rd, Dee Why, NSW, Australia
Posted by: 
jinkson
S 33° 45.501 E 151° 16.886
56H E 340837 N 6263310
One of the first industrial enterprises to be established in the Dee Why area was the Top Dog Men's Wear Production Centre, which began operations in 1951 at 800 Pittwater Road.
Waymark Code: WMX1M7
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Date Posted: 11/13/2017
Views: 3
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It’S one of the most recognisable buildings on the northern beaches, despite the changes it has undergone over the past 65 years.
The only parts of the Top Dog building that have survived since it was built are the facade and the tower – everything behind them is new.
Part of the reason it’s so recognisable is its position overlooking the intersection of Pittwater Rd, Warringah Rd and Harbord Rd, serving as a gateway to Dee Why, and partly because of its architectural qualities, which saw it awarded the prestigious Sulman Prize for architecture in 1950.
The main manufacturing hall was naturally lit and ventilated, the workers were sheltered from the afternoon sun by a wide verandah and there was a huge recreational area for them in the bow-shaped window section at the northern end of the building.
In 1957, Sargood Gardiner ceased production of Top Dog products and sold the building to clothing manufacturer Bond’s, which in turn sold it to fire control company Wormald International.
The building was almost totally demolished in 1996 and only the facade and tower retained and for several years has been occupied by Officeworks, Fitness First and a radiography business.
In 2013 the building was bought by St Luke’s Grammar School, although the existing leases don’t expire until 2028.
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