The Pines Business Centre

Statement of Significance

These two original buildings are both significant 19th Century Cottesloe buildings. Briggs Hall was the meeting place for civic functions and church services before these were catered for by dedicated buildings. The complex is an early recycling (c.1984-5) exercise that exploited old building stock while respecting the important aspects and elements of the original fabric.

Physical Description

The Pines Business Centre - Briggs Hall. This office and shop complex at the turn of the century comprised Frank Laughlan's grocer's shop and Briggs Hall. Louise St John Kennedy re-designed the two properties to link into a simple entity to form a small shop and serviced offices. The simple adjoining gable hall c1895 had a floor inserted into a restructured roof. A brick building in simple block form was then added to the rear to link hall and shop. A glazed walkway links the two buildings. The shop itself has vestiges of the original above the old chimney-line where a pedimented parapet with decorated pilasters survive. Swags remain on west and south faces. The shop front and opening have been redone and all masonry below the old canopy line has been rendered to give the appearance of limestone ashlar with quoining.

History

The east building was Briggs Hall of the 1890s. 1897 Briggs Hall was the site of a protest meeting about typhoid in the area. 1898 Briggs Hall was the site for a meeting to set up a Mechanics Institute. Roman Catholic services were held there in 1904 until they moved to Wells Hall in 1905. In 1905 James Sharpe owned Briggs Hall with Fred Peters civil servant and John Hawker in residence. The west building was a grocer's shop. In 1903 it was owned/ rented by Frank Lauchan grocer. In 1905 it was owned by James Sharpe and rented to Mrs E. Olds grocer.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity compromised Modifications recycled into business premises

Condition

Good

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update