A New Home for WASO
A NEW HOME FOR WASO
After 50 years of continuous operation, the heritage listed Perth Concert Hall will undergo a full revitalisation for the benefit of artists, audiences and the community. The Government-led redevelopment project, managed by the Department of Local Government Sport and Creative industries (DLGSC), will require the closure of Perth Concert Hall and surrounding forecourts for structural works which are planned to commence in early 2025.
WASO will officially release its 2025 Season on Thursday 28 November.
It takes a village
In 2020, The Hon David Templeman Minister for Culture and the Arts announced a Government commitment to redevelop Perth Concert Hall.
Following this exciting news, a project team was established by the Western Australian Government through the Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) to lead the redevelopment to revitalise the venue and provide a permanent home for WASO.
Over the last couple of years, the WASO team have worked closely with the project team and with project architects, WITH Architecture Studio and OMA, on a shared vision for the future of Perth Concert Hall.
As the vision for the redevelopment was beginning to take shape, a unique collaboration with the City of Perth and Australian Government enabled additional investments as part of the Perth City Deal. The total commitment of $150 million, including $134 million from the WA Government, recognises the important role the Perth Concert Hall plays in the West Australian Community.
While lots of work has taken place recently, this project has been two decades in the making as WASO has searched for a permanent home. When the ABC Perth Studios on Adelaide Terrace were closed in 2005, the orchestra was left without offices and rehearsal facilities and insufficient room available at the Perth Concert Hall for our whole team.
WASO is currently the only State Orchestra in Australia that is split across locations, and without dedicated spaces for instrument storage, or for WASO musicians to practice. We are grateful that this will change in the coming years owing to the leadership of the WA Government.
For further updates on the Perth Concert Hall Redevelopment project, please visit the Perth Concert Hall website. https://perthconcerthall.com.au/about/redevelopment/