Sirius

**Shortlisted for the Cornish Family Prize for Art and Design Publishing 2018**

Sirius is the extraordinary story of survival against the odds for one of Australia’s most notable Brutalist buildings, and its community. The story of Sirius begins with the 1970s Battle for The Rocks and a Green Ban, which saved an historic precinct and a community located around the Sydney Harbour Bridge. After four years during which there was no building activity, the Green Ban ended and agreement was made to build Sirius to serve the displaced members of the community. Architect Tao Gofers explains how the agreement was reached and how he designed a vertical village – perhaps the last, and arguably the most successful, tower built for public housing in this era.

By 2015, Sirius itself became the centre of controversy as the New South Wales Government sought to sell the building to developers and remove its public housing residents, forever changing the fabric of the local community and Sirius's original intention. Local Millers Point, Dawes Point and Rocks residents joined with hundreds of passionate advocates from across Australia – including architects, professional bodies and the Historic Houses Trust, to protest against this change. The 'Save Our Sirius' campaign was born.

Piper Press’s beautiful book records not just a building and its remarkable architecture, but also the important social history of a unique public housing community and many of its individual residents.