City hall call central to Perth’s plans

Aset of ambitious proposals for the future of Perth City Hall have been revealed by architects from across Europe. The public will have their say and, if the past decade is any measure, there can be no doubt there will be a high level of vocal involvement from within the city and beyond.

The most popular may not prove to be the “winner” as the public engagement exercise is only to inform the final decision, not determine it.

What is undeniable is if any of the designs are eventually chosen in the form in which they currently exist, there is a vibrant future for the long-closed building.

From a flexible exhibition space with art suspended from the ceiling to, effectively, a second Perth museum, the interior of the hall will be unrecognisable. But the cityscape could also change dramatically. One vision has an exterior staircase between the back of the hall and St John’s Kirk. Another proposes moving the Mercat Cross to open up the route from St John’s Shopping Centre to the hall. It is such bold innovation which Perth desperately needs. All the proposals are transformational and make the massive undertaking – both in cost and labour – worthwhile. Perth may be about to seize a chance to create a centre worth celebrating. Let us hope it does so.

And let us also hope the public engages in the process positively and in a civic spirit.