The Western Australian government has pledged $30 million to redevelop the brutalist Perth Concert Hall, originally designed by Howlett and Bailey Architects.
The funding is part of $76 million the government has allocated to the state’s arts and culture sector to help it recover from the economic devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These initiatives from the WA Recovery Plan provide reassurance to artists, arts groups and organizations that the state government is doing all it can to revive not just the Perth Concert Hall but the entire sector,” said state treasurer Ben Wyatt.
The redevelopment will see upgrades to the building and forecourts to improve accessibility and function at the venue.
Perth Concert Hall is the first facility of its type to be constructed in Australia after the second world war. It opened on Australia Day in 1973, predating the Sydney Opera House which opened in October the same year. In a 2011 Limelight magazine survey, Perth Concert Hall was ranked the best venue for its acoustics by performers, critics and audience members.
The building received the 2016 National Award for Enduring Architecture. In choosing a winner for this award, the jury focused on “which building has lasted the test of time and/or still functions as it was originally conceived without being compromised along the way.”
“Overlooking the Swan River, Perth Concert Hall by Howlett and Bailey Architects was designed in a brutalist style. The placement of the building, on top of a majestic brick plinth with stairs spanning its total width, celebrates the act of gathering,” the jury said.
Perth Concert Hall by Howlett and Bailey Architects.
Image: Courtesy of the City of Perth
“What appears to be quite a simple, white, off-form concrete, post-and-beam construction is, upon closer inspection, understood as being completely innovative for 1973. The building is actually hung from itself, creating enormous free spans and all from one beautifully poured material.”
In its citation, the jury also warned of the at-risk nature of brutalist buildings in Australia. “Brutalist buildings like the Perth Concert Hall, if situated in lucrative residential locations and subject to government short‑sightedness, can be easy targets for demolition … It is imperative that buildings of this nature are accepted by the general population as being key to our nation’s architectural story.”
The WA government’s recovery plan also includes funding for upgrades to His Majesty’s Theatre and the Jewish Community Centre in Yokine.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
