Northam’s Architecture and Heritage Honoured

Published on Tuesday, 22 June 2021 at 4:44:57 PM

Northam’s Architecture and Heritage Honoured

Two of the most interesting buildings that bookend Fitzgerald Street have been awarded at the Australian Institute of Architects 2021 WA Architecture Awards.

The Northam Library and former Chamber offices were awarded in the Enduring Architecture category winning The Richard Roach Jewell Award for Enduring Architecture.

The buildings designed by immigrant architect, Iwan Iwanoff, mark their fiftieth birthday this year and are a stunning example of the brutalist style.  The buildings retain a high degree of integrity and enduring architectural design.

In accepting the Award Shire President Chris Antonio said, ‘The Northam Councillors showed progressive and innovative thinking in commissioning this design more than fifty years ago.  People either love it, or not, … either way you should come and see it’.

Northam boasts the largest concentration of significant heritage buildings after Fremantle in WA. Another wonderful example being Farmers’ Home Hotel which won both The Margaret Pitt Morison Award for Heritage and the Award for Commercial Architecture with partners Spaceagency Architects.

The Hotel which has been a landmark in Northam since the 1860s has been transformed to include a boutique hotel, café and the Temperance Bar with sophistication and a playful acknowledgement to the historic themes of the place.

Mr Antonio said, ‘For Northam’s architecture to be part of an impressive showcase of nominees and winners, including the WA Museum Boola Bardip, is a great honour’.

A full list of Award winners can be found here

Image Courtesy of Navigator Photographix