Geelong’s State Government Building, often nicknamed the “Upside-Down Building,” is a striking example of Brutalist architecture design by architectural firm Buchan, Laird & Buchan (later Buchan, Laird & Bawden) and completed in the early 1970s. Its distinctive design features the wider upper floors jutting out above narrower ground levels, creating the illusion of being inverted.
Located on Little Malop Street, the building has long been a talking point in the city, admired by some for its bold modernist style and questioned by others for its unconventional form. Still housing state government offices today, the “Upside-Down Building” remains one of Geelong’s most recognisable and debated landmarks, symbolising the city’s era of post-war architectural experimentation.
