The demolition of the Gas and Fuel towers met little resistance.
Designed by Leslie M. Perrott and completed in 1967, the two towers located at 135 Flinders Street were labeled by author Barry Dickens as ‘an antidote to beauty’. The proposed demolition of the towers provoked debate about the value of protecting buildings popularly perceived as ‘ugly’. In 1996 work finally began on their demolition as part of the Federation Square development. The demolition was unopposed by the Trust, given that the tower’s presence blocked the vista from the south bank of the Yarra River towards Flinders Street.