The Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) has been selected by the government of Western Australia to work with local architect WITH on the refurbishment of the Perth Concert Hall.
The hall was completed in January 1973, nine months before the Sydney Opera House. It was designed in the French brutalist style by Jeffrey Howlett and Don Bailey, and built using the then cutting-edge technique of off-form concrete.
The renovation will create a new home for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, complete with an improved auditorium with better sightlines and expanded public areas.
Externally, the northern and southern forecourts will be repurposed as public spaces, and internally the hall’s iconic spiral staircase will be preserved and its two lobbies will serve as entry point to the auditorium.
The public will be led into the venue from St Georges Terrace in Perth’s central business district by a “red carpet” made from recycled brick that mimics the foyer’s distinctive floor design.
New staircases will lead from the Swan River to the level-two lobby, which will contain a terrace where concert-goers can buy food and drink. The level-one lobby will now act as a musicians’ lounge and a public event space, and the podium plinth on which the hall sits will be renovated.
Paul Jones, the director of OMA Australia, said: “The Perth Concert Hall – in both its architecture and the performances it hosts – has much cultural significance for Perth. Our design will preserve the hall’s architectural integrity and world-class acoustics, while introducing new public spaces that tie the hall closer with the community.”
The financing for the US$99m project will mainly come from the Western Australian government.
Work on the renovation is due to begin next year and the concert hall is expected to reopen to the public in 2028. It currently hosts around 160 events a year.
- Subscribe here to get stories about construction around the world in your inbox three times a week
Further Reading:
