Perth Concert Hall

Statement of Significance

11. 1. AESTHETIC VALUE*
Perth Concert Hall is a fine example of Late Twentieth-Century Stripped
Classical style because of its monumental scale, symmetrical composition,
strong horizontal roof element and peristyle like colonnade. These attributes
recall the formality and monumentalism of classical architecture and reinforce
a sense of occasion appropriate for a modern, civic building. (Criterion 1.1)
Perth Concert Hall illustrates an aesthetic achievement through the attractive
qualities of the principal building material. The off-form concrete provides a
textural quality to the overall form, and the warm sandy hues reflect the local
limestone. The resolution to paint the interior of the auditorium black was a
bold, and ultimately successful, decision. (Criterion 1.2)
Perth Concert Hall is a landmark on St George’s Terrace. The monumentality
and siting of the building allows the place to achieve a civic focus through the
extensive forecourt plaza and set-back from St George's Terrace and the
terraced platforms overlooking the river foreshore to the south. (Criterion
1.3)
11. 2. HISTORIC VALUE
Perth Concert Hall has provided Perth and Western Australia with a
performance venue of international standard since 1973, allowing the State to
host events it could not otherwise have experienced. (Criterion 2.1)
Perth Concert Hall is closely associated with architects Jeffrey Howlett and Don
Bailey, who designed the place after winning the original design competition
for a Town Hall and auditorium in 1961. (Criterion 2.3)
The place is also associated with architect and acoustician, Dr Harold Marshall,
who was responsible for overseeing the acoustic qualities of the auditorium.
(Criterion 2.3)
Perth Concert Hall was awarded a Concrete Institute of Australia Excellence in
Concrete Award for its innovative use of off-form concrete. (Criterion 2.4)
11. 3. SCIENTIFIC VALUE
Perth Concert Hall demonstrates an achievement in construction technology as
demonstrated by having won the Concrete Institute of Australia's Honorable
Mention for Excellence in Concrete Structures. (Criterion 3.3)
Perth Concert Hall demonstrates a technical achievement in the fine acoustic
qualities of the auditorium, as recognised and appreciated by performers and
patrons. (Criterion 3.3)
11. 4. SOCIAL VALUE
Perth Concert Hall is highly valued for its social and cultural associations, being
the main Perth venue for musical and other performance of international
standard as well as a venue for school and university graduations, balls and
civic occasions. (Criterion 4.1)
Since Perth Concert Hall opened in 1973, it has been the principal performing
venue for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. (Criterion 4.1)
Perth Concert Hall contributes significantly to the wider community’s sense of place in its prominent position on St George’s Terrace.
DEGREE OF SIGNIFICANCE
12. 1 RARITY
------------
12. 2 REPRESENTATIVENESS
Perth Concert Hall is representative of the Late Twentieth-Century Stripped
Classical style. Recognition of the civic stature of the place has been
expressed through the principles of classical architecture, adapted to the era of
construction. (Criterion 6.2)
12. 3 CONDITION
Perth Concert Hall is in good condition, displaying normal wear and tear,
twenty-five years after completion of construction. The combination of
heavy public use and high civic stature demands an appropriate standard of
presentation and maintenance.
12. 4 INTEGRITY
Perth Concert Hall has a high degree of integrity, as it continues in its original
function.
12. 5 AUTHENTICITY
Perth Concert Hall has a high degree of authenticity. Whilst there have been
some modifications to the function room, bar, cafe and administrative offices,
and replacement of material through normal wear and tear, the building
form and fabric are largely original.
*

Physical Description

Perth Concert Hall is located on the south side of St George's Terrace, adjacent
and to the east of Government House Grounds. The hall is set well back from
the main thoroughfare of Perth, at the rear of a broad forecourt plaza.
Terraced plazas to the south raise the building on a podium above Terrace
Drive. This siting affords the place a level of civic focus and also allows
advantage to be taken of river views.
Constructed in the Late Twentieth-Century Stripped Classical style, the
building expresses the monumentality and formality of a classical temple
featuring colonnades, symmetry and trabeated construction.48 The imposing
rectangular form is composed of a hefty horizontal roof plane balanced by
the finer columns and vertical mullions of the glazed north and south walls.
The sculptural and textural qualities of the rough sawn board, off-form
concrete relieve some of this monumentality. Further enhancement is
provided by the use of white-coloured concrete which evokes attributes of
the local limestone.
The Late Twentieth-Century Stripped Classical style was particularly
appropriate to large free standing civic buildings. It came to prominence with
the Lincoln Centre in New York in the early 1960s and found expression in
Australia in Canberra at the Law Courts (1961) and National Library (1968).
Local examples include the Reid Library at the University of Western
Australia (1964) by Cameron, Chisholm and Nicol and Parliament House,
Perth (1964) by E.H. Van Mens of the Public Works Department. As well as
stylistic similarities, the siting of these places share a design feature in the
large, uninterrupted forecourt which is essential to the appreciation of the
composition.
Perth Concert Hall comprises two levels of undercroft parking with entrances
from Terrace Drive and a separate service entrance via a ramp from St
George's Terrace. The parking area is located on fill above the level of the
retaining walls and raft of the incomplete Chevron Hilton Hotel. Pedestrian
access to the main foyer level is provided by the broad sets of stairs and
plazas rising above Terrace Road to the south, or via a ramp down from St
George's Terrace, to the north. The main foyer level accommodates offices
for the administration of the hall and BOCS ticketing facilities; a cafe, kitchen,
bar and function room; toilets and entry to the main auditorium. The Wardle
Function Room, located on the south side of the hall is a venue for corporate
entertaining and seminars. The room opens onto the south terrace and also
serves as a small theatre. Backstage facilities include the stage door entry
from the underground car park; Green room; Assembly Room; male and
female changerooms, conductor's room and production offices to the north
of the stage. The solo dressing rooms and chorus room are located on the
prompt side, the right hand side of the stage. A loading dock accessible from
the vehicle ramp from St. George’s' Terrace, piano store and working area
are located behind the stage, on the east side of the building.
The Terrace level foyer wraps around the enclosure of the auditorium with
'cathedral-like' volumes on the north and south sides. The six metre wide
side galleries rise through the full height of the building with the long walls of
glazing appearing to float above the foyer level glazing. In reality, the
concrete mullioned walls are supported from the roof. Both galleries open
onto the broad paved terraces on either side. The Western Australian
Symphony Orchestra (WASO) sponsor's lounge is enclosed behind a partition
at the east end of the north gallery. The two upper foyers are restricted to
the western end of the building decreasing in floor area as they ascend
through the building. These upper level foyers are defined spatially by
balustrades which allow a strong visual connection, with vertiginous qualities,
between levels. There are extensive views over Government House Grounds
and to the river and St George's Terrace from these foyers.
Vertical movement through the building is provided by a winding staircase
around the central core of the circular lift shaft displaying the same off-form
concrete as other structural elements. The foyer levels are carpeted and the
external walls of the auditorium are constructed with unfinished, ribbed
concrete blocks with the exception of the lower portion of the side walls
which feature horizontal timber board panelling. Entry doors to the
auditorium are of the same finish so that they are well disguised when closed.
There is no ceiling under the exposed off-form concrete roof structure.
Finishes in the offices and backstage areas are typically carpet and linoleum
floors, and plaster and painted walls.
A glazed, ceramic tiled wall panel is a permanent, fixed artwork in the ground
level foyer. The upper gallery levels are used as exhibition spaces with works of art lining the walls. Commemorative plaques are evident adjacent to the
Wardle Function Room, placed at the unveiling of the room in 1993; outside
the WASO Sponsor's Lounge to recognise the assistance of Keith and Lesley
Ingram and another is located at Terrace Foyer Level to signify the 25th
anniversary of the Perth Concert Hall and in recognition of the architect,
Jeffrey Howlett.
The shoe-box shape of the auditorium has been adopted from classical
concert halls of international renown and contributes to the overall success of
the acoustic quality. Seating is provided for 1729 with an additional 160 seats
in the choir loft. The seating is raked and the two gallery levels form
cantilevered terraces around the outer walls. The angled terraces along the
sides terminate in balcony boxes which present an off-form concrete finish to
the auditorium. The side panels of the boxes have been painted black, and
illustrate a late design decision, as they were originally intended to be clear
finished jarrah veneer. Side walls of the auditorium are also painted black
contributing to the striking effect of the interior decor. Under low lighting
conditions, the dark elements tend to disappear allowing more prominence to
the red velvet seats and cream coloured concrete balconies. The effect is
enhanced by the warm hues of timber evident in the stage, roof and panelling
to the rear wall of the choir loft and organ. The unraked, jarrah stage
accommodates a range of configurations for performance requirements,
predominantly musical but minimum ballet and operatic performances can be
staged, along with large scale civic receptions. The four levels of seating in
the choir gallery wrap around the sides and back of the stage beneath the
3000 pipe organ located against the rear wall. The ceiling is composed of
jarrah lined square coffers, with a light fitting in the centre of each form.
Additional stage lighting is provided from the vertical trusses, painted black
and mounted on the side walls.
There have been few major alterations to Perth Concert Hall. Some of the
interior offices spaces, backstage and function facilities have been modified.
Carpets and seats in the auditorium have been replaced through normal wear
and tear and asbestos has been removed throughout. Consideration is
currently being given to a development of the Concert Hall precinct.

History

Assessment 2002
Construction 1973
Architects Howlett & Bailey
Builder Sabemo (WA)
Perth Concert Hall was constructed in 1973, in Late Twentieth-Century
Stripped Classical style.1 It was built by Sabemo (WA) Pty Ltd to a design by
architects Howlett & Bailey. The place has been in continuous use as a centre
for musical performance, and for other events such as school and university
graduation ceremonies, business conventions and civic functions.
In 1961, architects Jeffrey Howlett and Don Bailey won a competition to
design a new Town Hall for Perth. Their design consisted of two buildings,
one containing administrative offices and the other, oval in shape, comprising
the ‘town hall’ or auditorium. The administrative offices, named Council
House, were built; however financial constraints and doubts regarding the
auditorium's acoustic properties meant that the auditorium building was not
constructed at the time.
In 1966, the need for a dedicated concert venue in Perth became critical when
Lord Mayor, Sir Thomas Wardle, sold his Capitol Theatre to the City of Perth
to make way for a car park. Located in a central position at the river end of
William Street, the Capitol could seat over 2,200 patrons and had been Perth’s
major concert venue since it was built in 1929.2 Although it had not been
designed for use as a concert and opera venue and its acoustics were less than
perfect, the Capitol was well patronised. The Capitol was home to the West
Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO), which had grown out of the ABC
(Perth) Orchestra when the State Government took over the subsidising of it
in 1949.
With the sale of the Capitol Theatre, the WASO was without a venue for its
1967 season. The WASO Subscribers Committee circulated a petition calling
for a new permanent home for WASO in late 1966, collecting over 1,500
signatures in nine days.3 Following inquiries from the ABC, the University of
Western Australia offered Winthrop Hall as a venue for WASO performances.
Although it was said that the acoustics were better at this venue than at the
Capitol4, audience numbers dropped as Winthrop Hall was not able to seat
the same capacity. Concern was expressed over the future of the ABC youth
concerts, which had a subscription list of 900 and it was lamented in the press
that Perth was the only capital city in Australia without ‘a hall in which
symphonic music could be heard’.5
It was decided that a new concert hall was required to fill in the gap in the
accommodation of the performing arts in Perth.6 The 1961 town hall design
was reconsidered and found to have several short-comings: the oval shape
was considered to have poor acoustic properties, the site behind Council
House was too cramped, parking would be a problem, and more area would
be lost from Stirling Gardens. Another design and another site was needed,
but Perth City Councillors could not agree on their requirements, with some
councillors pushing for an auditorium and others wanting a combined auditorium and administrative offices, as originally planned. In addition,
many believed that the provision of a new concert hall was the responsibility
of the State Government.
Following protracted negotiations between the two, it was agreed that a
dedicated concert hall was required and that the State and Local Governments
would share the costs involved.8 The State Government offered Perth City
Council (PCC) Lot 853, a 3 acre (1.2ha) site on St George’s Terrace, together
with $1 million on a dollar-for-dollar arrangement. During the March 1968
State elections, both political parties pledged their support for a concert hall.
After the election, Premier Brand increased his original monetary offer by
$350,000 and in April 1968, PCC accepted the Government’s proposal. Added
to the financial arrangements was a donation of $37,000 by Sir Thomas
Wardle. This was the amount of profit he had made from the sale of the
Capitol.
Lot 853 had initially been part of the Government domain and the site of the
old stables and vegetable garden. In the late 1950s, the Government made
the land available for a hotel, the Chevron-Hilton, which was to be opened
for the British and Empire (Commonwealth) Games in 1962. However,
work was abandoned due to the collapse of the project’s financial backing,
but not before massive concrete foundations had been laid at a cost of
£60,000.
The question now was one of design. A PCC committee recommended an
architectural competition for Perth Concert Hall, but after much discussion it
was agreed to commission the winners of the 1961 architectural competition.
Jeffrey Howlett had been awarded a Hyderabad State Government
scholarship to study architecture in England. He graduated with honours in
1950, from the Architectural Association School of Architecture, and followed
his family to Perth in 1951. After five years in Perth he joined Bates, Smart &
McCutcheon in Melbourne. He returned to Perth in 1961 when he won the
Council House competition. His work in Perth includes Beatty Park Pool
House, St Columba’s College for the Uniting Church and Mt Newman House
on the St George’s Terrace Cloisters’ site.13
In February 1969, Howlett & Bailey’s new plan for a concert hall auditorium
was approved. The new building, with an estimated cost of construction of
$3,107,500, was to be called Perth Concert Hall. In 1970, Lot 853 was gazetted
A Class Reserve 30347 for the purpose of ‘Concert Hall & Ancillary Uses,
Restaurant & Vehicle Parking.’14 A Reserve (Concert Hall) Act was passed in
1972, which slightly altered the purpose of the reserve to ‘Concert Hall,
Restaurant, Tavern, Vehicle Parking, and Uses Ancillary thereto.’15
When designing the Concert Hall, the architects were influenced by a number
of factors, including the large Commonwealth Taxation Office on the adjacent
block, the requirements of the Perth City Council and the exiting footings laid for the defunct Chevron Hilton.16 The architects attempted to relate the Hall
to the Taxation Office in terms of colour, texture and mass. The Hall was set
back beyond the old Chevron footings, which were to be buried under a
paved forecourt. This set back also complimented the set back of the
Taxation Office and allowed for the possible eventual widening of St George’s
Terrace to William Street.17 At the request of the City of Perth, an
underground car park was designed under the forecourt. Due to strikes
causing major steel shortages in Australia, the lower levels of the car park
were redesigned in concrete, allowing construction to proceed. (see NTWA files for more)

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.