A significant brutalist building at Perth’s oldest private boys’ school has been earmarked for expansion as part of a proposed $18.3 million redevelopment designed by Kerry Hill Architects.
Hale School is proposing to expand the 1961 Memorial Hall at its Wembley Downs campus, while at the same time demolishing and replacing the Stow Theatre, delivering new media studies classrooms and house homerooms, and creating a new courtyard.
Kerry Hill Architects was selected as the lead architect for the project through a design competition held by the school. The assessment panel noted that the practice challenged the brief, preparing a concept that not only met the need for an expanded Memorial Hall, but also addressed the presentation of the school to the prominent corner of Hale Road and Unwin Avenue.
The Memorial Hall, designed by Marshall Clifton and Anthony Brand, with Brand Ferguson and Solarski in association, was awarded the 1961 RIBA Bronze Medal and is listed on the Australian Institute of Architects register of nationally significant twentieth century architecture as the first building in WA “to be influenced by the brutalist style of Le Corbusier.” Increasing the seating capacity to 1,650, the redevelopment will see much of the internal structure demolished while the external envelope will be fundamentally kept as is. Significant elements of the brutalist design, including the significant east elevation, prominent external concrete columns and concrete fenestration and the bas-relief moulded balustrades, will be retained.
Hale School Memorial Hall and Stow Theatre redevelopment by Kerry Hill Architects.
The new 220-seat Stow Theatre, the media studies hub and house homerooms will be contained in a new building to the south of the Memorial Hall, while a new courtyard with an outdoor stage will be introduced between the buildings.
Kerry Hill Architects states in planning documents that the design concept responds to Hale School’s location on the sand dunes of the Swan coastal plain and the materials palette reflects this, with the new masonry and concrete to be rendered in muted, sandy tones.
Similarly, the landscape design by Aspect Studios aims to “mimic the swathes and undulation of the dunes through colour, texture and form.”
In addition to the works designed by Kerry Hill Architects, the school is proposing to build a new maintenance shed and carpark, which Site Architecture has designed.
The planning proposal is being considered by WA’s Metro Inner-North Joint Development Assessment Panel today, 4 October.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
