Iconic Perth building shortlisted for major award
One of Perth’s most iconic buildings is among a select group in the running to be named Australia’s best and most innovative new commercial developments.
The State Buildings is a finalist in the heritage category of the 2017 Property Council of Australia/ Rider Levett Bucknall Innovation and Excellence Awards.
The refurbishment of the State Buildings involved a major renovation to convert the buildings into a 48-room luxury boutique hotel, complete with retail and hospitality areas, as well as an integrated glass rooftop restaurant.
”A vibrant city must constantly evolve to meet changing demographics, community expectations, location of employment and a host of other factors,” said Lino Iacomella, the Property Council’s executive director in WA.
”What we see in the State Buildings is the renewal and transformation of iconic heritage buildings for a new century.
“The adaptive reuse of the State Buildings Perth shows how restoring ageing buildings and reimagining them as hotels, retail and public spaces, can breathe new life into tired corners of our cities.”
International House, in Sydney, is in the running for an innovation award. Image: Supplied
Another refurbished heritage building, Sydney’s 5 Martin Place, was named as a finalist in three different categories.
According to owner DEXUS Funds Management, the redevelopment of the old bank building combined the intricacies of a significant heritage restoration project with a modern commercial office tower and had the aim of delivering an innovative commercial workspace.
480 Queen Street, Brisbane, is in the running for an award. Photo: Property Council of Australia
International House in Sydney is a finalist in the development innovation category and is the first office building in Australia to be built using engineered timber. According to Lendlease, the use of timber in such a high-profile project will encourage more industry interest in timber as a building material, and in the construction industry’s need to move to using more pre-fabrication.
Stockland Weatherill Park in Sydney is a finalist in the shopping centre category for its transformation of a once-tired, 32-year-old centre, while its Shellharbour development is in the running in the sustainable existing category after it installed a rooftop solar panels to provide renewable energy and to generate 13 per cent of the centre’s power requirements.
Two competing finalists in the office development category are 480 Queen Street in Brisbane, which boasts green open-air spaces on the fourth floor, trees on the 32nd floor and a spectacular multi-storey ride through a blue rainforest mural, and the refurbishment of 20 Martin Place in Sydney, which involved stripping the tower back to its steel skeleton and rebuilding it to create a signature 21-storey asset with A-grade office space and premium retail.
Each development finalist is also in the running for the Australian Development of the Year title, which will be announced at the awards night in May.
