Walsh's Building

Walsh's Building

The Walsh's Building after the 2010–12 renovation
Alternative names Economic Store Building
General information
Type Retail/office
Architectural style Art Deco
Location Perth, Australia
Address 726 Hay Street
88 William Street
Coordinates 31°57′12″S 115°51′27″E / 31.9532°S 115.8575°E
Current tenants McDonald's
Florsheim
Construction started 1922
Completed 1923
Renovated 2011
Cost A₤80,000
Renovation cost A$15,000,000
Owner Winston Holdings Pty Ltd
Ayoman Pty Ltd
Landlord CB Richard Ellis
Technical details
Floor count 6
Design and construction
Architect Talbot Hobbs
Main contractor C W Arnott
Renovating team
Architect Palassis Architects
Renovating firm Diploma Group

Walsh's Building formerly known as the Economic Store Building is a building in Perth, Western Australia. It was designed by Talbot Hobbs.

Site

The building is located on the corner of Hay Street and William Street, Perth. It stands opposite the Gledden Building and Wesley Church, two other heritage listed buildings on this corner. The current building replaced the previous Economic Store building that had been destroyed by fire in 1921.[1][2][3]

Architecture

The building was designed in the Inter-war Art Deco style by Talbot Hobbs, an architect responsible for a number of buildings in the Perth Central Business District.[4]

Construction

Construction on the site began in 1922 and was complete by early 1923. The lead contractor was C.W. Arnott.[4][5]

A A$15m renovation of the building was completed in late 2012.[6][7][8]

Usage

The first major tenant in the building was the Economic Store, of which the Perth Mayor Sir William Lathlain was the proprietor.[5]

The building took on its current name when the Walsh's Menswear store opened on the ground level.

The basement of the building was used as a food court until a 2007 fire caused extensive damage, forcing its closure.[9]

It was classified by the National Trust of Australia in 1978.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Disastrous Perth Fire: Economic Stores Gutted". Western Mail. 20 January 1921. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  2. ↑ "Big Blaze in Perth - Economic Stores Destroyed". The Sunday Times. 16 January 1921. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  3. ↑ "Real Estate - Indications of Progress". The Sunday Times. 30 July 1922. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Economic Store (fmr)". Place Database. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "A Mayor's New Stores". The Register. 16 December 1922. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  6. ↑ "Run Down Perth CBD Heritage Building Fully Refurbished and Leased" (Press release). CBRE Australia. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Additions and Alterations - Conservation Works - 726 Hay Street". Palassis Architects. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  8. ↑ "Diploma Group Limited Receives AUD26 Million In Construction Contracts". Reuters. 7 November 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  9. ↑ Azzopardi, Joachim (13 February 2007). "Man charged over $400,000 fire". Perth Now. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 14 July 2011.