Heritage
State Buildings and COMO The Treasury
The restoration and reimagining of a Perth landmark.
The State Buildings heritage regeneration project transformed a collection of historic civic buildings in the heart of the Perth CBD into an iconic modern-day destination for locals and visitors alike.
Overview
total floor area
room luxury hotel
hospitality and retail venues
Project Background
Originally known as the Old Treasury Buildings, the three interconnected buildings that make up the precinct sat unused for almost two decades.
In their 140-year history, the buildings housed public offices, a police court and cellblock, the State Treasury, government Survey and Lands departments, Perth GPO, immigration offices and the Office of the Premier and Cabinet.
Our vision has restored the site to its former glory, honouring the history and instilling the buildings with a renewed sense of purpose. The State Buildings precinct is now home to the multi-award-winning COMO The Treasury hotel and COMO Shambhala Urban Escape spa, critically acclaimed restaurants and bars Wildflower, Petition, Halford Bar, Post and Long Chim, along with a number of popular commercial outlets.
The world-leading team established to bring the State Buildings project to life included Kerry Hill Architects and Spaceagency, led by Hesperia.
Recognition (Selected Awards)
AIA - George Temple Poole Award (2016)
AIA - Margaret Pitt Morison Heritage Award (2016)
AIA - Architecture Award for Interior Architecture (2016)
AIA - Architecture Award for Heritage Architecture (2016)
Property Council of Australia Best Heritage Development (2017)
Condé Nast Traveller 2nd Best Hotel in the World (2016)
Condé Nast Traveller Best Hotel in Australia and NZ (2016, 2017, 2018)
Forbes Travel Guide’s 2019 World’s Best Hotel Rooms
Project Details
The State Buildings project presented significant complexity, beginning with 15 years of planning discussions with successive State Governments for access to the site.
The focus of the project was to retain as much of the original buildings as possible and reinstate heritage characteristics that had been lost over time. On completion, 95 per cent of the original buildings were maintained, with almost all original lost elements reinstated.
One of the fundamental principles of the project was to return the use of the buildings to the people of Perth, which was achieved through a number of publicly accessible outlets on the ground floor.
The project called for a sustainable approach in all areas, including adaptive repurposing of heritage buildings and materials; double glazing and sensor systems for reduced energy consumption; the inclusion of Perth’s first tri-generation system; and ongoing management of 10 retail tenancies and seven hospitality venues.
