PRINCESS THEATRE | 29 - 33 MARKET STREET
Designed by local architect John McNeece and built in 1912. The building was used as a high-
end theatre and performance space until 1969 when it closed and was converted into commercial functions, like it is today. The space currently hosts Kakula Sisters, Yolk developers, Harris Design Group, Pardoe Design and a barber. The ‘theate’ function that once sat a 1,850 person audience located to the rear of the former Market Street entrance is currently unused and essentially abandoned.
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Esplenade Park
SITE PLAN 1:1000 Located in the NE of the West End of Fremantle, the site is located on the popular ‘cafe strip’, 180m from the Train Station, 380m to the Fremantle Markets and 500m to the historic Round House and Arthur Head.
Figure 01 | Historic points of interest
Figure 02 | Cultural / social points of interest
1. Bathers Beach long jetty + sea wall 2. Shipwreck Galleries 3. Round House + Arthur Head
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Figure 03 | Green Space 1. Football Oval 2. Esplenade Park 3. Pioneer Reserve
Figure 04 | Educational points of interest
Figure 05 | Current Circulation Axis
Figure 06 | Intended circulation axis
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Football Oval Fremantle Markets Little Creatures and other restaurants Spare Parts Puppet Theatre E Shed Bathers Beach and other restaurants
Maritime Museum Round House Museum Shipwreck Galleries Notre Dame University Campus Fremantle Library
SITE EXPLORATION Fremantle, in particular the West End is a uniuely diverse landscape showcasing significant historic, social and cultural points of interest.
Bracketed and balustrade parapet, with decorative engaged low pilasters.
The first floor features; engaged balustrade below the stucco architraves, and pilasters surrounding the arched sash windows, which have six paned transom lights. Engaged Corinthian pilasters divide the pairs of windows and there is decorative stucco over the arches to the cornice.
The ground floor has a bull nosed veranda extending into Leake Street, number 29 & 31 has a verandah awning, potentially not original.
SITE SURVEY ELEVATION The original two-storey theatre entrance located at 29-33 Market Street is in good condition with evidence that the owners of the building have well maintained and restored the structure over time. The original theatre component was detached from 29-33 Market Street when the building function changed to commercial. The theatre located to the rear of the original entrance on 2 Leake Street is in fairly good condition from the exterior, though the interior seems to have deteriorated and little maintenance has been done.
PLAN | SECTION | ELEVATION 1:100
No. 2
Leake Street No. 29-33
Princess Chambers
GROUND PLAN 1:200
THEATRE/PERFORMANCE SPACE A versatile, free-flowing space that can cater for large or small numbers of occupants of different interests and ages. This space could host events from opera, symphonies and plays to stand-up comedy, gigs, circus to private events and parties.
EXTENDED EVENT SPACE + STORAGE Extended space for events and storage for the interchangeable furnishings.
MIXED HOSPITALITY OVER THREE LEVELS Unified space that hosts a number of small hospitality business’ such as a wine bar, cafe, restaurant, tapas bar, cellar on first two levels, then a rooftop event space on the third level. These functions will act as a modern day ‘up-market’ that overall becomes a desitnation in Fremantle on weekends and during the work week, rather than a moderately used space with restricted hours. The front corner address, 29-33 Market Street, will draw people in to the venue, then encourage the use of the rear function, the theatre/performance space.
POTENTIAL PROGRAM Since the Princess Theatre closed in 1969, and the Oriana Cinema closed in the 1970s the only buildings in Fremantle that host similar functions are the Hoyts Cinema and Spare Parts Puppet theatre. Nothing currently exists that provides the same sort of scale as the Princess Theatre, a highend performance space that is a vibrant focal point of Fremantle for all ages and interests. Like many other unjustified changes in Fremantle,
Theatre / Performance Space
Mixed Hospitality
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POTENTIAL PROGRAM I believe the Princess Theatre is something that shouldn’t have been eliminated from the West End and that particular function was taken for granted at that time, but is something that could be bought back to create life in this particular region. A building that may resemble His Majesty’s Theatre, but with a distinctive modern energy and vibrance.
PRECEDENT STUDIES
Castelvecchio Museum | SCARPA
Il Fondaco dei Tedeschi | OMA St Ann’s Warehouse | MARVEL ARCHITECTS