History
The Subiaco Arts Centre, formerly Subiaco Theatre Centre, and prior to that the Subiaco Town Hall, was constructed in 1957. The design, by Architect Peter Parkinson of FGB Hawkins and Desmond Sands, is post-war international style.
It was based on the Corbusier Modular design system, a system of proportioning which combines the Fibonacci number system with the average dimensions of the human body. The Town Hall was constructed within the Rankin Gardens which are bound by Hammersley, Hensman, Bagot and Rokeby Roads. Rankin Gardens and the buildings within form the Subiaco Civic Precinct.
In 1968, alterations were made to the Town Hall. The design was by Architects Kenneth Broadhurst, Ryan and Evan and included enclosing the undecroft to form a supper room and kitchen, and upgrade to toilet facilities.
In 1984, the Public Works Department of Western Australia converted the Town Hall into a Theatre Centre. The building works included conversion of the main hall into a theatre with corner stage and tiered seating, conversion of the second floor space into offices and a rehearsal room, addition of an external ramp for disabled access to the first floor theatre entry, and service areas and toilets were changed and enlarged.
Subsequent to the Perth Theatre Trust taking management control of the building since conversion to a theatre in 1984, there has been the addition of management offices on the ground floor. These additions were constructed in the late 1990s and are of standard fit-out construction.