Perth Cultural Centre

Type of Project

Placemaking

State

Western Australia

Location

Urban

A well-designed area that supports a local sense of place will invite and encourage the community to be active. The Perth Cultural Centre, through a reinforced sense of place, attracts visitors to engage, enjoy and stay. The Urban Orchard, wetland, art gallery, museum and state library co-located with public transport supports a healthy active community.

The Perth Cultural Centre contributes to a strong sense of place with dramatic increases in physical activity in the area. It is an example of how a commitment to developing an inviting, safe and innovative environment can result in positive outcomes for a local and regional community.

An activated central hub

The Perth Cultural Centre is located north of the Perth CBD, linking the CBD with the Northbridge entertainment area. It is within walking distance of the Perth Train Station and Wellington Street Bus Station, which links the Cultural Centre to the greater metropolitan area via public transport.

The Perth Cultural Centre is home to a number of Perth’s cultural institutions, including the WA Museum Boola Bardip, State Library of WA, State Records, State Theatre Centre, Art Gallery of Western Australia, The Blue Room and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA), making it a hub of diverse activity.

Prior to redevelopment, the Perth Cultural Centre was in a period of decline and perceived by many to be an unsafe area; a place to avoid in the evening. The East Perth Redevelopment Authority (later Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority and now known as DevelopmentWA), was tasked with the regeneration of the area. A number of placemaking and urban design initiatives resulted in positive health and wellbeing impacts. 

The initiatives included:

• Urban Orchard – Establishing fresh organically grown food in a previously under-utilised space on top of a multi-storey car park has increased the vibrancy of the Perth Cultural Centre. Now a landscaped green space, the Urban Orchard promotes the importance of fresh and healthy food.
• Program of events – The Cultural Centre is the hub of cultural activity with the Fringe World Festival establishing open performance spaces and bars in the area during the festival. There is a regular program of additional cultural events scheduled throughout the year, encouraging activity in the space.
• Wetland – Revitalisation of the area included removing a chlorinated concrete water feature and establishing a wetland that supports a variety of wildlife native to the area. It has softened the urban environment and encourages increased visitor numbers.
• Heritage preservation – The refurbishment of heritage buildings, complemented with planning and leasing controls, has resulted in the regeneration of William Street, encouraging more people to visit the area and expanding the influence of the Perth Cultural Centre. 
• State Theatre Centre of Western Australia – features a 575 seat Heath Ledger Theatre and the flexible performance space. Also included in the Centre are The Courtyard, a multi-purpose outdoor event space, two rehearsal rooms and two flexible use private suites.

Project team

• Department of Culture and the Arts (now Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries [DLGSC])
• Perth Theatre Trust (PTT)
• Lotterywest
• East Perth Redevelopment Authority (now DevelopmentWA)
• State Government

Project cost

• The short-term program budget to revitalise the Perth Cultural Centre was $11 million. In total over $35 million was spent by the State Government, through the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (now DevelopmentWA) and the Department of Culture and the Arts (now DLGSC).