CONCERT HALL TOWER

VISITED

12th March 2004

WHAT IS IT?

An empty nine-storey office building with the top two storeys burnt out. The empty lot next door (obviously once the site of a building itself) has been landscaped as a park, however a combination of neglect, lack of reticulation and high winds off the Terrace have turned it into an arid wasteland well suited to its abandoned neighbour.

WHERE IS IT?

On St Georges Terrace opposite the Perth Concert Hall.

HOW TO SEE IT

The tower is quite easy to view, standing as it does on a major road. The desolate park next door allows a good look at the side and back of the building, and at the central light well where fire damage is particularly apparent.

The lower storey of the building is completely barricaded off, although there is a door at the west end. Signs indicate that the site in under 24 hour electronic surveillance, so getting inside would probably not be a good idea. The porch however is completely accessible, although you may get odd looks from people waiting for the bus. Also accessible is the driveway down to the underground carpark level. This level is blocked off too, but with a gate rather than a barricade, so you can peer through into the darkness.

The back of the building can also be viewed from Hay Street - ironically some of the better views are from out front of the city Fire Station. The rear car park of the Computer Expo store backing onto the park provides a look at the yard at the back of the tower, although a better view would be available from the building next door. A good view of the roof would probably be visible from the top floors of the Central Law Courts further down the terrace, although getting up there would be an adventure in itself.

The park may be examined at leisure. The grass planted over the site seems to grow reasonably well in winter, but dies off in the summer drought leaving large patches of sand. The main feature of the site is a concrete path running into the center of the park where it forms a circle, although the north side of this has cracked up and collapsed into the sand which is rapidly engulfing it. The inside of the circle has been planted with spinifex grass - probably as a water saving measure - which seems to be thriving in the arid conditions. A number of trees have been planted around the outside of the circle, seven of them are still alive. Observing them from the side indicates just how powerful winds down the Terrace - famous as a gigantic wind tunnel - can get.

HIGHLIGHTS

The fire damage in the light well is particularly impressive, suggesting the worst of the fire was on the eighth floor. From the front it can easily be seen that the eight floor is missing all of its windows. Many of the windows on the other floors still have curtains which can be seen blowing about on windy days - it makes you wonder what else is still up there. For urban archeologists a section of foundation wall can be found half buried in sand at the back of the park. Other signs of the building that once stood on the site can be seen on the walls of the tower itself.