Rich Lister Harry Stamoulis has swooped on a central Melbourne office tower, the home of explosives manufacturer Orica and the country’s first skyscraper, in a $155 million deal that is one of the city’s biggest over the past year.

The acquisition of the 19-storey building at 1 Nicholson Street from a Charter Hall-run fund was struck below its book value. Charter Hall has not disclosed the size of what is understood to be a single-digit percentage-point discount.