Architectural Team: Simon Pendal, Stephen Neille, Joseph Matthiessen, Shane Winter, Tommy Wong

Winner 2008 Think Brick ‘About Face’ invited national competition ‘Main Award’

Winner 2008 Think Brick ‘About Face’ invited national competition ‘Peer-voted Award’

New Trends of Architecture in Europe and Asia-Pacific 2008-2010

Photographer- Chris Geogehan

Site: Our selected site is located within Wolf Lane, Perth which is a sinuous, predominantly red brick urban space located between King, Murray and William Streets in the centre of Perth. The laneway is a place that can be stimulated by strategically siting a new civic institution to act as a focus for a layered, cross section of public engagement. The entire project (building and laneway- the adjacent public place) is developed to stimulate increased social activity, local enterprise, and cultural infrastructure and thus a more diverse, vibrant urban setting within the Perth City CBD and most importantly within the neglected inner city laneways.

Qualities: Brick is one the great durable materials. We have chosen to employ this inherent quality to create an appropriate and enduring architecture for the city. The enduring quality of brick provides a clear ecological and civic impetus to work with the longevity implicit in the architecture of the city. We have chosen to add to the ensemble of civic brick structures and considered urban rooms, to create an architecture intended to last beyond the moment, beyond the functional imperative that initially guides the building form.  The entire structure uses face brick, Geraldton ‘Millenium Grey’ with vaulted ceilings of ‘white’ Euroa glazed bricks. In working with space and light we are attempting to contribute to the group of poetic city moments; to create architecture that offers intrigue, depth, mystery and delight.