The QVI Building is a 159m high, 38 storey office tower located on the corner of St George’s Terrace and Milligan Street in Perth, Western Australia. The building was completed in 1991 by the builders Kajima Corporation. The designer was Harry Seidler. The name of the building is derived from the Latin phrase ‘Quo Vadis’ (whither goest thou?) and was used in honour of the 1913 Italian movie of the same name.
The Latin phrase ” Domine, quo vadis?” (Master, whither goest thou?) is believed to have been spoken by St Peter to Christ when they met on Appian Way. St Peter, who was fleeing from Nero’s persecution in Rome was so ashamed when Christ replied “I am coming to Rome to be crucified again” that he too returned to martyrdom in Rome. St Peter is believed to have requested to be crucified head downwards when nailed on the cross.
From an Anonymous Insider:
During the late 1980s a gathering of suits (of de rigueur Enlightenment progeny – not pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic) around a Perth boardroom table were pondering the naming of a 60,000 sqm NLA tower being built in St. George’s Terrace – double the size of Allendale Square (the centrepiece of Perth’s CBD) when one suit mumbled:
” This thing is going to be bigger than Ben Hur.”
To which another suit retorted :
” Yes – it is………what was the name of that film……wasn’t it Quo Vadis? ” to which the collective replies were ” Yes…. that was huge…..and it was bigger than Ben Hur wasn’t it”
(most, if not all, of the elder suits present being 1951 kindergarden kids when Quo Vadis was released)
To which yet another contribution was: ” So if that was bigger than Ben Hur – does anyone know what Quo Vadis means ?”
Thereafter a highly influential suit (who has since been banished from The Terrace) spoke across the table with a tone not dissimilar from that of an English lecturer conducting a tutorial for the benefit of convict progeny:
” Well actually chaps that is a Latin phrase which translates in English to: The place to be. “
After which the collective response was:
” Brilliant – thank you Mr. XYZ ,……… now we know what to name it… the number one place to be…QV1″
Sadly even today – the Roman I is frequently replaced with the ( no – not Arabic – it’s Indian ) numeral 1 .