Australian Provincial Asssurance Building

Construction of the Australian Provincial Asssurance Building (APA Building) at 53-63 Martin Place in the Sydney CBD began in early June 1936 by Kell and Rigby builders following the calling of tenders in February the same year. The imaginative use of granite and terracotta on its facade creates an impressive presence in Martin Place.

The building was designed by the architect David W. King who occupied a suite in the building for over thirty years and was largely responsible for ongoing maintenance and alterations to the building during this time.

From 2004 to October 2021, the building most notably housed a Lindt chocolate café on the eastern side of the ground floor. The (now-closed) café came to international attention during the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis, thus being commonly referred to as the Lindt café siege.

Facade detail

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Sources:

• Sydney Heritage Listings

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