The design of a building which could replace Perth’s fire-damaged Waverley Hotel should be rejected on the grounds of “poor and inappropriate design”, a councillor has claimed.
Councillor Peter Barrett described the proposal by businesswoman Ann Gloag to replace it with a multi-use hall and gym as “featureless”.
“I have no objection in principle to the demolition of the buildings if they are structurally unsound, repair is not financially viable and there is no market interest in alternative use,” said Mr Barrett.
“But my concern is the unacceptably poor quality of the new-build proposals.
“These are entirely lacking in merit and unworthy of a prominent situation on one of Perth’s main arterial routes. We are being offered an incongruous shed with a couple of unmatched extensions sticking out the front of it. This is not nearly of sufficient design quality to replace the existing buildings which are situated in a prominent location, adjacent to the church and opposite the AK Bell Library.
“The elevations are largely featureless with their mass broken only by minor window and door spaces. The front of the building is dominated by a monolithic metal profile roof two stories high and completely out of character with the rest of York Place both in terms of form and material.
“The build-outs on the front are not even symmetrical. Caledonian Road is faced with a featureless gable interrupted only by two obscured glass windows to the toilets inside. One window at height appears to provide the only natural light to the large multi-purpose hall. Contrary to the assertions in the applicant’s design statement proposals as they currently stand fail to provide a ‘dynamic and attractive environment’ for the city.
“The application should be refused on grounds of poor and inappropriate design for the site. The applicant needs to rethink their plans and I would urge them to bring back a better proposal which will deliver ‘an improved vista to the city’ which is their stated objective, but on which they have singularly failed to deliver.”
A structural report on the dilapidated building in York Place revealed this week that it was suffering from serious defects prior to the fire.
A spokesman for Ms Gloag, who is a member of the adjacent Trinity Church of the Nazarene, said they didn’t wish to comment.