RECENTLY completed office tower one40william has become the first new central city development in Perth to win the architecture profession’s top prize in more than a decade.
RECENTLY completed office tower one40william has become the first new central city development in Perth to win the architecture profession’s top prize in more than a decade.
Located at 140 William Street, the building was the big winner at this year’s Australian Institute of Architects WA awards, announced last Friday.
It won the George Temple Poole award, presented to the project judged most worthy among all of the category winners.
Designed by architecture practice HASSELL, it also won the category awards for commercial architecture and urban design.
The other major winner at this year’s awards was the State Theatre Centre in Northbridge.
Designed by Kerry Hill Architects, it won the awards for interior architecture and public architecture.
Kerry Hill Architects also had a hand in a second award, for the Beachside Leighton North development, which comprises 60 apartments and seven terrace houses.
Kerry Hill, in association with Mirvac Design, designed the apartments, while another Fremantle-based practice, spaceagency, designed the terrace houses, also in association with Mirvac Design.
The Beachside won the award for residential architecture, for multiple residential developments.
Another winner in this year’s awards was Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland for The Grove Library in Peppermint Grove, which won the sustainable architecture award.
The awards attracted a record 141 entries, up from 108 the previous year.
Institute state president David Karotkin said he was especially pleased to see an increase in the number of entries in the sustainable architecture category.
The George Temple Poole award, which attracts the most attention each year, has gone to a very diverse collection of projects during the past two decades.
The 2010 award was presented to Peter M Quinn Architect for the upgrade of Saint Mary’s Cathedral in East Perth. In a similar vein, the 2008 award was for the St Georges Cathedral restoration, which was designed by Hocking Heritage Studio.
Other winners during the past 10 years have included the Fremantle Mausoleum, the Mindarie Senior Campus, the Maritime Museum in Fremantle, the WA Police Academy in Joondalup and the Fremantle Justice Centre.
Going back another decade, the winners of the award have ranged from the Learmonth International Airport terminal to the Palmyra Bus Depot, the Victoria Hotel in Subiaco and Hillarys Boat Harbour.
The judges of this year’s awards described one40william as one of Perth’s most significant and influential new buildings.
The building, along with the adjacent Raine Square development, has changed Perth’s skyline and helped to establish a deeper north-south alignment in the CBD.
The judges were particularly taken by the links between one40william and neighbouring buildings, including the GPO Building on Forrest Place and heritage buildings on Wellington Street.
The building also links with the underground train station and the Murray Street Mall.
“The real success of the project from an urban design perspective is at the ground plane where the building blurs the boundaries between the public and private, social and workplace, circulation and interaction,” the judges said in a statement.
“A series of almost ‘Melbourne-like’ laneways and retail arcades connect with the surrounding urban fabric and provide 24-7 access through the site and three significant new public spaces, creating increased opportunities for the building’s tenants.”
The architects were also praised for integrating designs that minimise energy and water consumption and maximise natural light.
The building also has high-rise wintergardens and rooftop landscaping for the benefit of its occupants.
