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Legislative Council Chamber
2011 AIA Architecture Awards Multiple Awards for Legislative Council Chamber Upgrade, Perth

 

The Margaret Pitt Morison Award for Heritage

 
Legislative Council Chamber Upgrade received the Margaret Pitt Morison Award for Heritage Architecture.
This award is given to the work judged to be the most significant for the advancement of architecture in the Heritage Category.
 
 
 JURY COMMENTS
Demonstrated a meritorious attention to detail and crafted a clever restrained design solution to accommodate the increased numbers occupying the Chamber, whilst respecting the sense of place and intent of the original design.
 
 

The Project gained additional recognition through two further commendations:

  • Commendation  for  Interior Architecture Award
The architect has skilfully retained significant aspects of the Chamber’s heritage, whilst crafting a successful spatial solution to a challenging brief that also posed significant time and programming constraints to meet the demands of the Legislative Council calendar.
 
The architect is to be commended for a sensitive and sympathetic solution that combines sound organizational planning with clarity in compositional strategy, integrating many allied disciplines and modern technologies whilst maintaining the integrity and cultural significance of this historical interior space with the benefit of being completed substantially below its estimated project cost.
 
  • Commendation  for  Mondoluce Lighting Award

The refit and upgrade of this very important space in the history of the State is handled with great sensitivity. A major part of the brief was the improvement of lighting levels across the Chamber floor and peripheral corridors. This has certainly been achieved.

 

An existing central chandelier has been replaced by a new large suspended disc up-lighter which matches other existing/retained fittings. The latter were enhanced by the inclusion of centrally placed down-lights to address the lighting levels on the Chamber floor below without impacting on the period interior architecture.

 

 All existing light fittings have been overhauled and updated with high efficiency components.

 

Most of the existing high-level continuous coloured lead-lighting (located immediately below the galleries) have been backlit to great affect by new ‘floating’ contemporary fluorescent fittings in the adjacent corridors which surround the Chamber on 3 sides. One section unfortunately could not be backlit due to existing building constraints.

 

The electrical and communication outlets at each of the parliamentary ‘workstations’ are back illuminated (blue light) and finished in contrasting colours (black/silver).

 

All lighting is centrally controlled and staged to provide multiple effects and efficiencies.