Designed by Woods Bagot on behalf of owners St Martins Properties, the proposal centres on adaptive reuse, reinvigorating St Martins Centre to create a diversified and connected precinct that celebrates its 50-year history, while ensuring the prominent CBD site remains a vibrant and valuable asset. 

“This project represents a fundamental shift in how we think about urban renewal,” says 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.”

The design breathes new life into one of the city’s most recognisable commercial precincts through a carefully curated mix of retail, dining, entertainment, office and hotel offerings supported by a generous and connected ground plane that celebrates connections with neighbouring landmark sites.

The architectural vision hinges on unlocking ground-level connectivity. St Martins Lane—a new north-south pedestrian link—will cut through the precinct to create permeability through the site. The existing St Georges Terrace forecourt will be transformed into an activated, landscaped threshold that welcomes the public into a series of connected experiences.

“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,” says Woods Bagot Senior Associate and Project Lead Michael Gay.

A 243-key lifestyle hotel at 44 St Georges Terrace will drive the precinct’s programming, movement and amenity. Office space is retained at lower levels, while the building’s crown will be repositioned as a sky bar. A rooftop pool club and lifestyle facility on the new podium overlooks Hay Street Mall, creating vertical activation and introducing new hospitality experiences to the precinct.

“This project is an opportunity to capture the spirit of Perth and what it’s becoming,” says Woods Bagot Project Architect Kristen Di Gregorio. “A lifestyle hotel in the city centre unlocks engagement with a diverse population—students, business travelers, locals. It creates a new urban experience, giving residents reasons to rediscover their own city on weekends and weeknights.”

Complementing the hotel, the proposal includes an adaptive reuse three-storey structure accommodating dining, retail and wellness functions. This contemporary insertion will sit alongside the retained heritage buildings at 611-619 and 621 Hay Street Mall: the McNess Royal Arcade (1897) and the Bridal House. Both heritage buildings will undergo internal refurbishment and adaptive reuse.

“When we talk about heritage, we’re talking about landmark and memory,” says Eva Sue. “We’re reinstating the arcade as an inter-precinct connector and giving it back to the public.”

“Heritage and sustainability work hand in hand. By restoring these buildings, we’re saving significant embodied carbon while creating a finer-grain urban fabric that strengthens pedestrian connections.”

By retaining the character and authenticity of the existing built form, the project will offer a unique identity and set a low-carbon benchmark for Perth.

New retail tenancies at street level across 40 and 50 St Georges Terrace, the new St Martins Arcade building and the heritage structures will maintain an active relationship with the surrounding public realm. Located within the Perth Free Transit Zone and connected to Perth and Elizabeth Quay railway stations, the site benefits from exceptional public transport access and proximity to Elizabeth Quay, Stirling Gardens and the Hay and Murray Street shopping malls.

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Adrien Moffat
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