Kerry Hill Architects win $45 million Fremantle design comp
Kerry Hill Architects have taken the crown in the Kings Square Architectural competition with their design for the $45 million community, civic and retail hub in the centre of Fremantle.
The winner trumped two other design entries, which had been shortlisted from 53 entries submitted from around Australia and the world.
“I’m very pleased with the jury’s decision and on how the competition was managed from the outset,” says Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt.
“I thank both the jury and City staff for the enormous time and effort spent getting to this point, which has resulted in some high calibre entries and a first-class winning design.
“What we’re ultimately ending up with here is Fremantle’s future heritage and with the Kings Square Project being the cornerstone of Fremantle’s $1 billion development pipeline and revitalisation, we wanted to make sure we get the best possible outcome in terms of design,” says Pettitt.
Forming part of the larger $220 million Kings square Project, the winning design’s key civic spaces include a City Lawn, Verandah and Civic Drum.
The sandstone cylinder Civic Drum contains the council chamber on top, staff lounges, community room, exhibition and a multi-purpose room.
The library will be located in under the City Lawn with side glass walls, making it visible from ground level.
The firm’s design concept was to create informal spaces to invite relaxed public participation.
Competition jury chair Shelley Penn says they were pleased with both the overall quality and diversity of the entries.
“As a jury we ended up selecting the concept submitted by Kerry Hill Architects which offered a proposition of simple, clear elegance that centred on a compelling urban gesture to re-establish Kings Square.
The jury also found this concept to have a refined architectural palette of form, space and materials,” says Penn.
The winning design, along with the two other shortlisted concepts, will be on public display at the former Myer building for the next two weeks.