Perth Concert Hall

Perth Concert Hall opened in 1973, and has long been considered to be superb example of brutalist architecture, with its distinctive use of white off-form concrete. The architects were the same as those who had completed Council House on St George’s Terrace, Jeffrey Howlett and Don Bailey.

Before the Concert Hall, if you wanted to see classical music or opera the place to go was the Capitol Theatre. This had been built in 1929 at the river end of William Street, and could seat 2,200 patrons. Although it had not been designed for as a concert venue, and its acoustics were less than perfect, the Capitol was very popular. It was also home to the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO).

However, in 1966 the owner of the Capitol, Lord Mayor Thomas Wardle, sold it to the City of Perth so it could be demolished to make way for a car park. Suddenly there was a need for a new concert venue. WASO was without a venue for its 1967 season. The University of Western Australia offered Winthrop Hall as a venue for WASO performances, but it was a much smaller space than the Capitol. The press claimed Perth was the only capital city in Australia without “a hall in which symphonic music could be heard”.

When Howlett & Bailey won the competition to design Council House, they proposed two buildings, one containing administrative offices and an oval auditorium to the rear.However, financial constraints meant that the auditorium was never constructed. So, in 1968 the State Government offered Perth City Council some land on St George’s Terrace, together with $1 million towards a concert hall.

In February 1969, Howlett & Bailey’s new plan for a concert hall was approved. It was designed to seat 2,000 people, together with a restaurant and foyer, which could accommodate about 1,000 people for banquets and balls. The stage was designed to hold an orchestra of 100 players. On each side of the auditorium, exhibition galleries served an extra purpose as buffers against city noise.

Several consultants were involved in the design of the building, including an acoustic consultant, Harold Marshall. He used a computer to predict, before the hall was built, how well people would hear in every one of the 2,000 seats.

Perth Concert Hall was officially opened on Australia Day, 26 January 1973. Governor-General Sir Paul Hasluck officiated at the opening, which was attended by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam on his first official visit to Western Australia. The evening included a midnight to dawn ball attended by almost 1,700 people. WASO was joined by members of the South Australian Symphony Orchestra for the occasion, and the whole event was televised.

Since its opening, Perth Concert Hall has hosted thousands of concerts and events, from heavy rock and roll to string quartets, from stand-up comedians to full symphony orchestras, from organ recitals to choral performances. The place is used as a community hall for school and university graduations, conferences, lectures and inaugurations. The galleries are used for displays, exhibitions and trade shows.