Central Park
1988-1992 - 152-158 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA Measuring 226 m from its base at St Georges Terrace to the roof, and 249 metres to the tip of its communications mast, upon its completion in 1992, Central Park became the tallest building in Perth. It is also currently the ninth tallest building in Australia. The building is formed by a composite steel and concrete frame, with various setbacks in its profile, meaning the upper floors are much smaller in area than lower levels. The base of the building features a small park, for which the tower is named.
Central Park was the fourth and largest stage in the plan by architects Forbes & Fitzhardinge for the surrounding commercial precinct, which included the AMP Building, the Commonwealth Bank building and the Wesley Centre. The design of the tower changed several times as the prospect of different planning concessions changed.
From as early as the 1930s, the site was home to a The building occupies a site which, for the early 1970s, was home to the Foy & Gibson department store (known by the locals as Foys). The store extended all the way through from St Georges Terrace to Hay Street, featured a popular cafeteria.
The store became a David Jones department store upon the purchase by that chain of Foy's Western Australian operations. By the late 1970s, David Jones had withdrawn from the Western Australian market, and the site stood vacant after decades as a landmark of St Georges Terrace. It was the last major shop on the Terrace to close, and brought to an end the era of St George Terrace being regarded as a shopping street.
Another cauality of the Central Park development project was the Commonwealth Bank building (above) on the corner of William and Hay Street that stood for less than 30 years. Erected in the early 1950s, it was a textbook example of the International architectural style, complete with a curtain wall facade on William Street. The site occupied by the bank is now the "park" area of the Central Park complex. The bank was relocated elsewhere in the complex.
Construction of Central Park cost $186.5 million, and upon completion the building overtook the BankWest Tower as the tallest skyscraper in Perth. It was also the city's largest office tower by combined floor area, a title which was taken by QV.1 when that building opened in 1994. Central Park is now regarded as one of Perth's leading premium office towers.
Since 2001, the tower has played host to an annual stair climb race up 53 flights of stairs to the roof. In 2008 the event raised $103,719 for MS Australia. Central Park was noted upon its opening for being technologically advanced, with fully computerised air conditioning, which uses data from 1,400 sensors on each floor to regulate temperatures in an energy-efficient way. From its uppermost floors, there are views out to Kings Park and the Indian Ocean. However, members of the public are not permitted to observe from the building except on designated charity days.
The podium of the building is clad with stone to complement the surrounding street frontages, and the foyer is decorated with murals by artist Brian McKay on 223 m2 of aluminium wall panels.
