Conrad Gargett

Conrad Gargett Pty Ltd
Industry Architecture, Landscape architecture, Interior design, Urban design
Founded 1890
Headquarters Brisbane, studios in Sydney, Townsville
Website conradgargett.com.au

Conrad Gargett is an Australian based architectural practice. The practice was founded in Brisbane in 1890 and is one of Queensland’s oldest architectural firms.[1]

The practice operates out of studios in Brisbane, Sydney and Townsville.

Establishment

Lady Cilento Children's Hospital designed with Lyons, South Brisbane
Royal Agricultural Showground Exhibition Halls, Sydney
The former Queensland National Bank at 308 Queen Street, completed in association with Donovan Hill

Conrad Gargett Architecture was established as HW Atkinson in 1890 by Henry Wallace Atkinson with the winning design for the new Brisbane Head Fire Station.[2] Charles McLay joined Atkinson to form the partnership HW Atkinson & Chas McLay in 1907.[3] The practice subsequently assumed the position of Diocesan Architect to the Anglican Church, designing a number of schools and churches in South East Queensland.[4] Following the death of McLay in 1918 the practice was renamed Atkinson & Conrad when Arnold Conrad became a partner. The new firm was noted for its use of the distinctive Spanish Mission style in many of its projects.[5] The practice was also appointed to the position of Hospital Architect by various Hospital's Boards and played a large role in the design of hospitals in Queensland between 1920–80, including extensive projects at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, South Brisbane Auxiliary Hospital (now Princess Alexandra Hospital), Prince Charles Hospital and Gold Coast Hospital.[6]

During the post-war era, the practice, now called AH Conrad & TBF Gargett, became a prominent designer of commercial office towers in the Brisbane CBD. Most notable of these were the SGIO Building and Theatre (now Suncorp Metway Plaza) and head offices for three of the big four banks.[7] The MLC building, designed in 1955 with Bates Smart, was one of the first commercial office buildings to be built in the undecorated, modern style in Brisbane.[8]

Growth

Conrad Gargett formed after Conrad Gargett Architecture undertook a series of mergers with Riddel Architecture (2012) and Ancher Mortlock Woolley (2013).[9] The contemporary firm is a multi-disciplinary practice, which specialises in health, education, heritage and defence.[10][11]

Riddel Architecture was established in 1982 by Robert Riddel.[12]

The Brisbane based practice focused on heritage, conservation and adaptive reuse projects.[12] Notable works by the firm include the restoration and adaptive re-use of Brisbane’s Customs House, the former Wests Furniture Showroom and the former Queensland National Bank at 308 Queen Street (in association with Donovan Hill).[12]

Ancher Mortlock Woolley, initially called Ancher Mortlock & Murray, was established in 1946 by Sydney Ancher, Bryce Mortlock and Stuart Murray.[13] The Sydney based practice was later joined by Ken Woolley in 1964.

The practice designed modern structures, winning both the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture and the Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture.[14] Notable projects by the practice include Town Hall House and Sydney Square (1977) and more recently, the Royal Agricultural Showground Exhibition Halls and restoration of the State Library of Victoria.[14]

Notable works

Old Government House, Gardens Point

History

A limited selection of notable projects completed by the firm since its establishment.

1890‒1907 HW Atkinson

Queensland Brewery in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane
Date
 Building
 Status
 Location
1890 Fire Brigade Head Station, Ann & Edward St [15] Demolished Brisbane City
1892 Coorparoo School of Arts and RSL Memorial Hall State Heritage Place Coorparoo
1903 Wesleyan Methodist Church, Linton Street Local Heritage Place Kangaroo Point
1906 Brisbane Fruit & Produce Markets, Turbot St Local Heritage Place Brisbane City
1906 Queensland Brewery (additions) [16] Fortitude Valley

Source: Queensland Heritage Register

1907‒1918 HW Atkinson & Chas McLay

Trades and Labour Hall, Brisbane (now demolished)
Date
 Building
 Status
 Location
1907 Fire Station, Ann & Wharf St [3] Demolished Brisbane City
1907 Villa Residence, for FAJ Isles, Jordan Tce Bowen Hills
1909 Ithaca Town Council Chambers State Heritage Place Red Hill
1910 Fitzroy Chambers (renamed Commerce House) [17] Brisbane City
1910 McWhirters & Son, Wickham & Warner St State Heritage Place Fortitude Valley
1912 Desmond Chambers, Adelaide Street Local Heritage Place Brisbane City
1918 Church of England Grammar School (Churchie) State Heritage Place East Brisbane
1918 Trades and Labour Hall Demolished Brisbane City

Source: Queensland Heritage Register, Fryer Library Database (Conrad Gargett Collection)

1918‒1939 Atkinson & Conrad

(1927-1931 Atkinson, Powell & Conrad )

Masonic Temple, Brisbane (Designed by Lange Powell)
Royal Women's Hospital in Brisbane at the time of its opening, 1938
Advertisement for the Atcherley Private Hotel, Adelaide Street
Date
 Building
 Status
 Location
1920 The Southport School Southport
1923 St Paul's Anglican Church and Columbarium State Heritage Place East Brisbane
1925 Gordon and Gotch, Adelaide St [18] Brisbane City
1926 Atcherley Private Hotel, Adelaide St Demolished Brisbane City
1926 Craigston Apartments, Wickham Tce State Heritage Place Spring Hill
1926 Block 2 & Block 3, Royal Brisbane Hospital Demolished Herston
1927 Residence and rooms for Dr Hedley Brown Nundah
1927 Masonic Temple, Ann St (designed by Lange Powell) State Heritage Place Brisbane City
1928 St John’s Cathedral (abutment wall) State Heritage Place Brisbane City
1928 National Australia Bank, Queen St (with A & K Henderson) State Heritage Place Brisbane City
1929 Brisbane Boys' College (BBC) State Heritage Place Toowong
1929 Lady Lamington Nurses Home (additions), Royal Brisbane Hospital State Heritage Place Herston
1930 Royal Women’s Hospital, Royal Brisbane Hospital Demolished Herston
1930 Tristram’s Factory (Tristram’s West End Market) Register of the National Estate West End
1934 Somerville House Library State Heritage Place South Brisbane
1935 Courier Mail Building (with Meldrum & Turner), Queen St Demolished Brisbane City
1935 Finney Isles & Co Building (additions), Queen St (now David Jones) State Heritage Place Brisbane City

Source: Australian Heritage Database, Queensland Heritage Register, Fryer Library Database (Conrad Gargett Collection)

1939‒1975 AH Conrad & TBF Gargett

SGIO Building (now Suncorp Plaza) viewed from Albert street across King George Square
Date
 Building
 Status
 Location
1951 South Brisbane Auxiliary Hospital (now Princess Alexandra Hospital) [19] Demolished Woolloongabba
1953 Cromwell College, University of Queensland [20] St Lucia
1953 Prince Charles Hospital (Sanatorium & Nurses Quarters) [21] Sanatorium demolished Chermside
1954 St John’s College, University of Queensland [20] St Lucia
1955 MLC (with Bates Smart), Adelaide & Edward St [22] Brisbane City
1958 Women’s College, University of Queensland [20] St Lucia
1960 St John’s Cathedral (extension to nave) State Heritage Place Brisbane City
1960 Physiology Lecture Theatres, University of Queensland [20] St Lucia
1961 Commonwealth Bank Building, King George Square [22] Brisbane City
1962 Queensland Newspapers Bowen Hills
1963 Bishopsbourne (Archbishop's Chapel) [23] Hamilton
1963 Sir William MacGregor Building, University of Queensland [20] St Lucia
1965 Head Fire Station, Kemp Place [24] Fortitude Valley
1965 Age Newspapers Melbourne
1967 SGIO Offices and Theatre (now Suncorp Metway Plaza) [22] Theatre demolished Brisbane City
1968 Block 7 & Block 8, Royal Brisbane Hospital [25] Herston
1970 Brisbane Administration Centre and City Plaza [26] City Plaza demolished Brisbane City
1971 ANZ Head Office, Queen & Creek St Brisbane City
1971 100 George Street, Executive Building (with State Dept. of Works) [26] Brisbane City
1972 Central Railway Administration Building, Central Station (with Civil and Civic) [26] Brisbane City
1973 Comalco House, George & Ann St (now State Law Building) [22] Brisbane City
1974 National Bank House (formerly Estates House) [22] Brisbane City

Source: Queensland Heritage Register, Fryer Library Database (Conrad Gargett Collection), Digital Archive of Queensland Architecture

1975-1995 Conrad Gargett and Partners

Sheraton Hotel (now Sofitel) over Central Station, Brisbane QLD
State Law Building, Brisbane QLD
Date
 Building
 Status
 Location
1978 National Mutual Centre, Edward & Charlotte St (with Civil and Civic) [26] Brisbane City
1981 Santos House and Rowes Arcade, Adelaide St [22] Brisbane City
1981 Queensland Parliament House (conservation with State Dept. of Works) [27] Brisbane City
1982 Sheraton Hotel (now Sofitel), Central Station [22] Brisbane City
1983 The Mansions (conservation), George St State Heritage Place Brisbane City
1985 Queensland Mapping and Surveying Building Woolloongabba
1989 Commonwealth Bank Head Office, Queen & Edward St [27] State Heritage Place Brisbane City
1990 St Martin's House (adaptive reuse), St John’s Cathedral Precinct State Heritage Place Brisbane City
1991 Queensland Newspapers [27] Murarrie
1992 State Law Building (renovation) [22] Brisbane City
1993 Therapies and Anatomy, University of Queensland [20] St Lucia

Source: Queensland Heritage Register

1995-present Conrad Gargett Pty Ltd

2014 Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, Complete [28]

References

  1. ↑ Douglas Neale, “Conrad Gargett Architecture: 12 decades of design,” Architecture Australia (September 2005): 34
  2. ↑ Neale, “Conrad Gargett Architecture: 12 decades of design,” 33
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "A New Firm of Architects.". The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) (Qld.: National Library of Australia). 5 January 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  4. ↑ Queensland Heritage Register, “St Paul's Anglican Church and Columbarium,” Queensland. Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, https://heritage-register.ehp.qld.gov.au/placeDetail.html?siteId=34898
  5. ↑ Australian Heritage Database, “Tristrams West End Market,” Australia. Department of Environment, http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl
  6. ↑ Queensland Heritage Register, “Nurses' Homes, Royal Brisbane Hospital (including Lady Lamington and Blocks 1 and 2),” Queensland. Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, https://heritage-register.ehp.qld.gov.au/placeDetail.html?siteId=14998
  7. ↑ Neale, “Conrad Gargett Architecture: 12 decades of design,” 34
  8. ↑ Graham De Gruchy, “A study of change in the built environment with special reference to urban and architectural design in Brisbane's central business district core and core periphery,” (PhD thesis, University of Queensland, 1994), 137
  9. ↑ Michael Bleby, “How architect firms compete in a consolidating industry,” Australian Financial Review, January 18, 2014. http://www.afr.com/p/business/property/how_architect_firms_compete_in_consolidating_YJdsoETIgq8dYDyD4aOEtO
  10. ↑ “Conrad Gargett Riddel,” ArchitectureAU, http://architectureau.com/organisations/conrad-gargett-riddel/
  11. ↑ Ann-Maree Moody, “Defence buildings: design with a military precision,” Australian Financial Review, January 18, 2014. http://www.afr.com/p/defence_buildings_design_with_military_3wLr7BLIqqj3AZZtEuI9qJ
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Magie Fraser, “Robert Riddel, Geoff Cook and David Gole of Riddel Architecture,” ArchitectureAU, http://architectureau.com/articles/robert-riddel-geoff-cook-david-gole-of-riddel-architecture/
  13. ↑ “Ancher Mortlock and Woolley,” ArchitectureAU, http://architectureau.com/organisations/ancher-mortlock-murray-and-woolley/
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Architects for the New Millennium. (Images Publishing. 2000. ISBN 978-1-86470-079-4.
  15. ↑ “Brisbane Fire Brigade Station, ca. 1899,” ‘’John Oxley Library,’’ http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?vid=SLQ&docId=slq_digitool86276
  16. ↑ Brisbane Courier January 9, 1906. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/19428866
  17. ↑ De Gruchy, “A study of change in the built environment with special reference to urban and architectural design in Brisbane's central business district core and core periphery,” 116
  18. ↑ Brisbane Courier August 31, 1926. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/21055548
  19. ↑ “Nurses' Quarters at the South Brisbane General Hospital, Woolloongabba, Queensland, 1958,” John Oxley Library, http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?vid=SLQ&docId=slq_digitool585917
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 Antony Moulis, Andrew Wilson. University of Queensland Centenary Architecture Campus Map, (St Lucia: University of Queensland, 2010)
  21. ↑ Courier Mail (Brisbane) July 7, 1952. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/50517333
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 22.7 “Discover Brisbane architecture,” Brisbane Modern Magazine, http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/147850/Discover_Brisbane_architecture_-_Brisbane_Magazine_issue_2.pdf
  23. ↑ “Archbishop's Chapel in Hamilton, Queensland, 1965,” John Oxley Library, http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?vid=SLQ&docId=slq_digitool587125
  24. ↑ “Metropolitan Fire Brigade Head Station in Brisbane, Queensland, 1964,” John Oxley Library, http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?vid=SLQ&docId=slq_digitool586641
  25. ↑ “Block 8 of the Royal Brisbane Hospital at Herston, Queensland, 1970,” John Oxley Library, http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?vid=SLQ&docId=slq_digitool586469
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 De Gruchy, “A study of change in the built environment with special reference to urban and architectural design in Brisbane's central business district core and core periphery,” 157
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 http://conradgargett.com.au/history
  28. ↑ http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/the-book/people/architects-designers/conrad-gargett-riddel

External links