Central Park, Perth

Values

• The place is a representative example of a Late 20th Century Late Modern style office building that contributes to the streetscape of St Georges Terrace and the skyline and townscape of the City of Perth.
• The place is associated with well renowned Western Australia artist Brian McKay, whose works are incorporated into the design of the ground floor foyer and cover a substantial portion of the walls, and the lift interiors.
• The place is a representative example of a building constructed during a period that saw the increasing involvement of the State Government in commercial activities, particularly in city property developments.

Physical Description

The place is a modern landmark office tower in the Perth CBD and is the tallest building in Perth. It comprises a 51-level office tower of approximately 66,500m². The tip of the tower is 261.7 metres above sea level and 224 metres above ground. The building is formed by a composite steel and concrete frame, with various setbacks. Extending into Central Park’s lobby space by way of a soaring glass canopy is a 5,000sqm landscaped public park.
The Central Park lobby is finished in several types of natural stone, most notably Empress Serpentine, the green marble panels cladding the central lift core. Green (Verde Maritaka) and red (Violet Tropical) granite tiles pattern the lobby floor, with grey granite panels cladding the surrounding lobby walls around large format artworks.

History

From as early as the 1930s, the site of the present-day Central Park tower was home to the Foy & Gibson department store, which extended all the way from St Georges Terrace through to Hay Street. The store then changed ownership to become David Jones, which ceased operation in the 1970s.
The site was vacant for a number of years until 1981 when it was acquired by the Bond Corporation and L.R Connell. As one of the largest development opportunities in the Perth CBD at the time, Bond and Connell persuaded the State Superannuation Board of Western Australia to buy a quarter share in the property and to completely fund development of the proposed $200M Central Park Tower. This development occurred during a period that saw the increasing involvement of the State Government in commercial activities, particularly in city property developments such as the R & I Tower, the Swan Brewery site and the Perth Technical College. This situation was starting to cause some alarm, particularly at the City of Perth where the State Government was seen by some as having a vested interest in the Council’s major planning decisions.

Integrity/Authenticity

Majority of parts are original. Internal upgrades have taken place. The building and its integral foyer art work py prominent West Australian artist Brian McKay are intact. The addition to the Southern Plaza with a zinc clad canopy was made in 2006-08 designed by Cameron Chisholm & Nicol.

Condition

Good

Uses

Creation Date

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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.