ARCHITECTURE

Designed by architects Jeffrey Howlett and Don Bailey, the Perth Concert Hall was the first concert hall to be built in Australia after World War II. Its construction and completion was carried out by Sabemo (WA) with its doors opening to the public on Australia Day (January 26) 1973.

Serving as a prime example of the ‘brutalist’ mid-century classical architecture, its exterior is characterised by an innovative use of white off-form concrete.

Centred by a winding staircase, its interior is laid with a bold red carpet. The auditorium seats 1,729 people and houses a 3,000 pipe organ.  

Noted as being a structure that was completely innovative for its time, it was recognised at the 2016 Australian Institute of Architects National Awards, and received the ‘Enduring Architecture Award’. The jury of the awards described the building to be “… hung from itself, creating enormous free spans and all from one beautifully poured material.”

In recent years, (2017 / 2018) improvements to the Perth Concert Hall have been implemented, including the lighting system which saw major upgrades to the auditorium and façade lighting. 

Perth Concert Hall by Howlett and Bailey Architects. 
Image courtesy of The City of Perth.

ARTISTS

Renowned for having one of the finest acoustics in the southern hemisphere, Perth Concert Hall has had many star-studded performers set foot on its stage, from great classical ensembles The London, Chicago and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras to some of the world’s best contemporary artists including; Ray Charles, PJ Harvey, Nina Simon, Sting, Tim Minchin, KD Lang and many more.

The venue continues to be the home for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO) as well as a host to a huge number of diverse performances and events all year round – including, but not limited to, popular music, comedy, classical music and talks.