COLIN NICHOL has seen a vision of the future of central Fremantle and argues that in his opinion, it is not pretty.
BEWILDERMENT was the theme of the evening at the town hall last Tuesday with the overall reaction, “How did this get this far?”
The occasion was the first public viewing of plans for redevelopment of the Atwell Buildings and Arcade site between the High Street Mall and Cantonment Street, in the heart of the CBD.
Why a plan that fails to meet important requirements of council’s own guidelines for the location was even considered for display for public comment is mystifying. Surely a pre-commitment had not been made to such a looming structure in so important a central city location, despite inevitable objections?
Going through these processes of examining building designs for so delicately balanced a heritage city is mostly painfully disappointing. Hopes for something uplifting, a building with style and soul that contributes to the built environment of the city, are rewarded yet again with depressing ordinariness.
There are other considerations in a city centre so notable for empty premises. Losing tenants to make way for reconstruction may result in something neither the developers nor the city could afford; their permanently locating elsewhere, or departing from Fremantle—there is precedent.
“The 1929-built Cantonment Street frontage design is an assault to the eye.”
Another element that could not be restored without cost and thoughtful design in the proposed rebuild of the 1929 arcade, is its developing “funky” character. But a wonderful opportunity does present itself to invest in a replacement of greater value and attraction and there are many examples to show how this might be re-created into a (possibly galleried) major attraction for the city centre.
While the redesign for the 1895 “aesthetically-significant”, heritage-listed mall upper facade keeps it unaltered, that needs some restoration (too much to hope it would be restored to black-pointed Melbourne brick). However, the imposition of a supported balcony in place of the existing cantilever veranda, not objectionable in itself, is an imposition upon heritage.
The 1929-built Cantonment Street frontage design is an assault to the eye. Apart from overwhelming height and bulk, it displays little architectural originality or invention, contrasts dramatically with the retained lower floors and in glaring white, only advertises its inappropriateness. It is designed to stand out rather than fit in and does not contribute to a desirable streetscape.
The retained two lower floor facades are stripped of their original rendering to expose a trendy brick finish, which simultaneously strips heritage and shouts discord at that level as well. Neither section fits happily with the other. A common architectural device employed in the displayed plans is the inclusion of a large tree fronting that site, thus screening some of the frontage. A larger tree is required.