Open House Perth 2019 - Day Two

After a full day of walking around in extreme heat through the CBD and Mount Lawley, I was fully prepared to do it all over again. The second day of Open House Perth was only mildly cooler and a slight haze had fallen over the city. Having volunteered to photograph the CDB area, there were dozens of locations to choose from but only four were specifically required. Due to logistic and scheduling conflicts, I needed to hit three of those on this day, but it was no problem as that they were all in close proximity to each other.

As I had some time to spare in the morning before those buildings opened for the day, I used the opportunity to explore several nearby listings before heading into the city centre. Conveniently, the first location was the Perth Girls School which was right next door. To be perfectly honest, while it’s a somewhat interesting building with a significant history, it doesn’t have the most flattering interior. Hopefully it will receive a facelift as part of the new civic project to revitalise the area.

Perth Girls School

Down the hill towards the river was Vue Tower, one of the newest apartment highrises in East Perth with spectacular panoramic views of the city and the Swan River. We were brought up to the top floor and shown around a common recreational space with a spacious balcony as well as an adjacent penthouse apartment. Without the ability to set up a tripod, I tried my best to find clean compositions with perspectives that highlighted the angular nature of the design. I had to constantly remind myself that I was not there just to take photos of the building, but of the people as well.

Vue Tower

It was now time to hop on a bus into the CDB to visit the first mandatory location, 108 St Georges Terrace - also known as South32, or Bankwest Tower to those with more nostalgic convictions. As with many of the locations visited over the weekend, this was my first time inside the tower despite living in Perth for thirty years. I was in awe of the grand foyer that encapsulates the rear of the heritage-listed Palace Hotel with a large glass canopy, incorporating Perth’s tradition if melding history with progress.

I was there specifically there to photograph a conference room on the 51st floor, which happens to have been the former residence of infamous businessman Alan Bond. The room itself was not much to look at, but the view is what captivated everyone’s attention. It’s a shame that Perth doesn’t have an observation desk on any of its skyscrapers, it would be a massive boon to the tourism industry, even if Perth is still a fairly flat city.

Level 51, 108 St Georges Terrace

Walking my way uptown, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to peer into the office of Hassell, a world-renowned architecture firm. They worked out of a gorgeous open-plan space carved out of the first floor of the old Commonwealth Bank Building in the heart of the CBD. The industrial patterns of the exposed ceiling utilities combined with imposing beaux-arts pillars, all painted in white, blend together to form a busy yet transparent environment.

The open space felt more like a gallery than an office, which makes sense since everything on display was a piece of art. I made sure that every image incorporated both the floor and the ceiling to emphasise the vertical space and the warmth added by the hardwood flooring.

Hassell

Across the road in the recently re-developed Raine Square was a modern co-working space called, aptly, Spaces. I was immediately surprised at how dramatically each “space” seemed to differ from the last, just like walking through ever-changing environments in IKEA. Whether you needed a rustic hall for a lunch meeting, a corporate conference room, or a cozy reading nook, there was something in this first floor suite for almost every occasion.

Spaces

I then headed back down towards the river to hit the last two required locations back to back, the first being Quay Perth Hotel, a contemporary hotel with co-working spaces and a bar & restaurant overlooking Elizabeth Quay. It is a renovation of the former New Esplanade Hotel building, which itself was erected in place of the original Esplanade Hotel that was completed in 1898 and demolished in 1972. Perth certainly has a way with breathing new life into dated albeit solid architecture.

Quay Perth Hotel

As seen from the vantage point of Quay Perth, The Towers at Elizabeth Quay seem to rise out of the water, forming a centrepiece of the redeveloped waterfront. In fact, The Towers comprise two separate buildings; the south pair is filled with luxury apartments, accompanied by The Ritz-Carlton hotel to the north. This was by far the busiest location I went to over the weekend with dozens of people lining up for a guided tour.

After some introductory remarks from the lead architects, we were led inside and up to one of the residential apartments and a common pool area. It became abundantly clear that carrying a full backpack with an attached tripod was incredibly unnecessary and awkwardly cumbersome as quarters became very tight in the elevator and corridors. Next time I’ll remember to take only what I need.

The Towers at Elizabeth Quay

As the day started to wind down, I trekked back up into the CBD to Moana Hall, an event venue in the respectfully restored Moana Chambers which was built in 1908. Rather than a complete renovation, the first floor space retains some of the withered charm of the original construction, complemented by a few modern updates.

The dark hardwood floor and ceiling gives the entire venue a moody atmosphere that also made it challenging for handheld photography. Given the right time of day, you could probably make use of the east-facing windows to let in more natural light.

Moana Hall

Although I had already visited The Rechabite the previous day, the unique venue proved to be a favourite among my fellow volunteers and we felt we owed it was worth another look. Fortunately, the vivid purple and red lights from before had been turned off, allowing the bright, warm sunlight to spill in and illuminate the hall, giving it a completely different atmosphere. The rooftop bar was also now alive with activity, allowing me to show it in its intended state.

The Rechabite (Again)

Being a photographer for Open House Perth turned out to be pretty exhausting work, but it was equally rewarding. I was able to learn a lot about not only how to use the camera to my advantage, but also how to more efficiently manage my time and utilise my gear, as well as interact with people when necessary. Naturally, I had to approach the majority of this experience as event photography, since an architectural shoot would allow more time and equipment to dedicate to a single location.

Providing the health crisis we are facing at the moment does not affect Open House Perth 2020, I look forward to volunteering again.

Thanks for reading.