A development application has been lodged to reposition Perth’s St Martins Centre through a comprehensive adaptive reuse strategy, transforming the 50-year-old CBD complex into a mixed-use precinct integrating retail, commercial, hospitality and heritage elements.
Designed by Woods Bagot for St Martins Properties, the proposal reimagines three commercial buildings as a connected urban destination while retaining the character of the existing built form.
“This project represents a fundamental shift in how we think about urban renewal,” said Woods Bagot Principal Eva Sue. “We’re taking three commercial buildings that have served Perth for 50 years and recasting them for future generations through a revitalisation strategy that introduces a diversified user experience.”
New pedestrian link to improve CBD connectivity
A central component of the proposal is the reconfiguration of the ground plane to increase permeability through the site. A new north–south pedestrian connection, St Martins Lane, will link St Georges Terrace with Hay Street Mall.
The St Georges Terrace forecourt will be redesigned as a landscaped threshold, guiding visitors through a Conservatory Restaurant and into connected retail, commercial and hospitality spaces.
“This new link flows from a welcoming threshold on St Georges Terrace through a Conservatory Restaurant to Hay Street Mall, bridging retail, commercial, and hospitality in a connected ground plane strongly supported by the City of Perth,” said Woods Bagot Senior Associate and Project Lead Michael Gay.
243-key hotel anchors mixed-use repositioning
A 243-key lifestyle hotel at 44 St Georges Terrace will form a key element of the precinct strategy. Office space will remain at lower levels, while the building’s crown will be repositioned as a sky bar. A rooftop pool club and lifestyle facility overlooking Hay Street Mall will introduce additional hospitality uses.
The proposal also includes adaptive reuse of a three-storey structure for dining, retail and wellness, alongside refurbishment of the heritage-listed McNess Royal Arcade (1897) and Bridal House at 611–619 and 621 Hay Street Mall.
“When we talk about heritage, we’re talking about landmark and memory,” said Eva Sue. “We’re reinstating the arcade as an inter-precinct connector and giving it back to the public.”
According to Woods Bagot, restoring the heritage buildings will preserve embodied carbon while strengthening pedestrian connections across the precinct.
