The library design by Kerry Hill Architects has won the tender for Perth’s first civic building in four decades.

The city’s new public lending library and public plaza will form part of the city’s $55 million St George’s Cathedral Heritage Precinct redevelopment, which includes the Old Treasury Buildings, Land Titles Office and St George’s Cathedral.

It will be the first major civic building to be built by the council since the Perth Concert Hall, which opened in 1973.

The city council said it had chosen an elegant building with graceful circular design as the preferred model for the new City of Perth Library and plaza.

Artwork of Perth's new $14 million public lending library by Kerry Hill Architects. Image via Perth City Council.

The Council accepted Kerry Hill Architects as the project architect after a tender process that attracted submissions from 18 companies.

The Council invited three of the tenderers who best met the selection criteria to develop detailed design concepts. They were paid $15,000 each to do so.

Kerry Hill Architects submitted a quote of $3,112,600 for the supply of architectural services.

Images below via The West.

Construction of the library is planned to commence in November 2012 (after demolition of the Law Chambers Building) with an estimated completion date of late 2014.

Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said the state-of-the-art library building would add a fresh, new dimension to the precinct while accentuating the heritage aspects of the historic buildings.

The library and plaza will be built on the site of the Law Chambers Building (567-579 Hay Street) which will be demolished. The current City of Perth lending library is located in the basement of that building.

The library building will cover some 3,500 sqm and will include meeting rooms, gallery spaces, café/tenancy and amenities. It will also incorporate sustainable design features.

“The Council was impressed with the distinctive circular flow of the building concept and its intermittent vertical cladding as well as its orientation to natural light,” the Mayor said.

“The public plaza will provide an attractive outlook from the building as well as being a restful public space. The overall design will provide a bright, new perspective on the adjacent heritage buildings which have been overshadowed or obscured due to their proximity to the multi-storey Law Chambers Building.

“The Council appreciates the efforts of respondents to the tender process, particularly the three short-listed consortia. Clearly this will be a building of some stature which will help to invigorate this historical, but under-used and rather uninviting area of the city.”

Architecture & Design Team

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