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In 2020, Swanbury Penglase was engaged by UniSA to completely reinvent 9 Light Square, Adelaide as a workplace hub.

With a rich history in the west end of the city, 9 Light Square had many previous lives including a skins and hides warehouse, the ‘Dutch Club’, Le Rox Nightclub and the Night Train Theatre Restaurant.

Our disciplines of Architecture, Interior Architecture and Heritage worked in strong collaboration on this adaptive reuse project, finding the balance between discovering and celebrating the building’s unique history and modernising it to become a place of enterprise and innovation.

Across two levels, the Enterprise Hub accommodates over 100 people in a variety of dynamic working settings to support the cross-pollination of business groups and ideas, to foster connections and partnerships that may not have been obvious. Spaces are flexible and adaptable to support the changing needs of the users and include incubation suites, agile co-working hubs, workshops and open plan work areas.

The project also included a complete building analysis and services and safety upgrade to create a habitable place ready for occupation and maintain this important and historic site into the future.

In May 2017, the Australian Government listed the Australian Cornish Mining Sites: Burra and Moonta as National Heritage Places. The sites were listed to acknowledge the significant role they played in developing the copper mining industry in Australia and to acknowledge Cornish immigrants who had a key role in the industry’s development. Swanbury Penglase was subsequently engaged by the Regional Council of Goyder and the Copper Coast Council to develop Heritage Management Plans for Burra in September 2018 and Moonta Mines in November 2019.

As a departure from traditional management plans for individual sites, these documents cover large geographical areas and whole communities with the overall purpose to formulate a strategic and holistic cross-discipline approach to the management of their National heritage values.

The documents were developed in accordance with the Burra Charter (The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance 2013), the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 2000 (EPBC Act), and the Commonwealth Government’s guidelines for managing National Heritage Places.

These plans will inform future development, decision-making, and management strategies for the places by Councils, the State, and the Commonwealth government.

The state heritage-listed Union House complex consists of a series of structures built in stages from the late-1920s through to the mid-1970s, resulting in a complicated historical and physical environment. At its heart is the historic Cloister, the central external space around which the complex is organised. Previously the heart of the University of Adelaide’s North Terrace Campus, this role had been supplanted.

The purpose of this project was to commence the buildings reactivation by converting external and internal spaces to house new active functions and to better integrate and connect these to the redeveloped Cloister. Swanbury Penglase were engaged in August 2018 with an integrated team of heritage, architectural, interior design, and landscape experts to make this objective a reality.

 The works focused on the ground floor spaces, including the reconfiguration of the Cloister and surrounding landscaped areas to better highlight the building’s fine architectural qualities and connect it to the wider campus. This is now an active and flexible space with the infrastructure in place to host a range of events. An important objective achieved was the provision of equitable disability access with the thoughtful and discrete integration of new services.

 The landscape design provides flexible event and formal spaces for students and staff, reflecting the heritage building’s symmetry and strong linear elements with large, intrigued pattern paving and lawn areas framed by the existing trees and covered arch walkway.

A prominent part of the city scape of Adelaide is the Anglican Cathedral of St Peter’s located in North Adelaide. Built in several stages between 1869 and 1910, this major gothic building is the centre of Anglican Church in South Australia as the seat of the Archbishop.

Swanbury Penglase were privileged to be appointed as the Cathedral architects in 2016 being only the third firm to have this distinction in the 150 year life of the building. We were appointed largely due to our comprehensive experience and knowledge about the conservation and repair of these types of structures.

Working to make the existing conservation strategy a reality we have been involved with the following:

Researching the nature of the construction of the building, including accessing drawings, specifications and correspondence from the original Cathedral Architect’s archive

High level inspection of the roof, lantern and towers to confirm the nature and extent of current problems

Development of a strategy to provide cost effective access to the roof for regular maintenance

Development of new access pathways around the building with associated landscaping works to aid in improving maintenance and disability access

Scoping and documentation of staged works for the repair and part replacement of the slate roof, associated stormwater disposal system, masonry repairs and integrating seismic bracing of the roof structures. Due to the need to match the existing slate, this also included arranging a special on-off order to match the existing imperial length from the original quarry in Wales.

Stage 1 of the anticipated 7 year programme is currently underway.

Internal render repairs

Design works for new timber joinery casework for the Cathedral organ as part of the current organ restoration project.

For over 100 years the Queen Adelaide Room at the Adelaide Town Hall has been the City of Adelaide’s major civic reception space. Informed by its past, the room has been transformed into a befittingly grand space that reflects its significance.

Dark and dowdy, the room was considered an embarrassment overdue for redevelopment but there was much debate about what form this would take. After extensive research and consultation, it was agreed to refurbish the space based on the original 150 year old unexecuted design and finished to reflect the feminine elegance implied by its name. The brief also required it to function for a range of uses, integrate the latest technology and be undertaken within a narrow timeframe.

Careful study of original drawings was undertaken to inform the detailing of the new configuration. Descriptions of historic treatments inspired the new decorative scheme, involving extensive trialing of especially commissioned wallpaper and carpet designs to ensure the correct balance of colour and pattern. Unobtrusive integration of building services included lighting, audio and information technology. The project was completed by working closely with specialist tradesmen practicing what are becoming infrequently used skills.

The Council love the completed room. It is now a source of considerable pride and has become one of the highlights of the building, being used for a broader range of civic events. It demonstrates how understanding the story of a place can inform decisions and provide thoughtful and successful outcomes.

The jewel like bandstand, or ‘rotunda’ using local colloquialism, located in Adelaide’s Elder Park, is much loved by Adelaideans past and present. Manufactured by the famous Scottish architectural iron founders, Walter MacFarlane & Company Ltd, it is one of the finest specimens of their work and the oldest example in South Australia of what in 1881 was a new building type. Donated by Sir Thomas Elder, one of South Australia’s great philanthropists and a lover of music, it was a symbol of the blossoming of culture on the fringe of the civilised world.

Following the proven ICOMOS Burra Charter process of research and understanding informing the necessary work, a series of problems contributing to the deterioration of the structure have been addressed and a new colour scheme introduced. With its new painted and gilded livery reinforcing its innate elegance, the diminutive but culturally significant Rotunda remains the focus of Elder Park and more than holds its own in the wider evolving context of the Torrens Riverbank.

Located on North Terrace ‘Old Parliament House’ is one of the most significant historic buildings in South Australia. For a number of years it had been unused and its condition was deteriorating with the passage of time.

A project was initiated to carry out essential conservation works and make the accommodation provided within the building accessible to and usable by the adjacent Parliament House to address identified shortage of meeting rooms and offices.

As a result of this project much of the original building fabric has been conserved and returned to pristine condition and where necessary new contemporary elements have been inserted to facilitate accessibility to and connectivity between the multiple levels within Old Parliament House and to Parliament House itself.

A new ‘entry’ from North Terrace has been created providing a second major entry point to the Parliament House complex which is compliant with disability access codes, provides convenient access for members and parliamentary staff and is a gateway for visiting school groups.

The refurbished building incorporates a high level of both electronic security and acoustic privacy to meeting rooms and offices.

The building works included replacement of all services incorporated within the existing building fabric in a manner which did not impact on the original heritage fabric and brought the spaces up to date in terms of communications and recording technology.

The redevelopment includes a landscaped courtyard space retaining the existing century old palms and in turn provides an outdoor gathering space for parliamentary functions.

Work for this project involved a detailed feasibility and master planning exercise for the Ballarat City Council on Her Majesty’s Theatre, a significant heritage listed building in the heart of Ballarat. The preparation of a Conservation Management Plan in association with McDougall & Vines enabled us to understand clearly the degree of significance associated with the development and subsequent adaptation of the original theatre. It was possible to develop a policy framework for conservation and adaptation to meet the increasing operational demands, whilst maintaining the integrity of this significant asset.

We were then able to develop and test issues of conformance, compliance and operational imperatives for the theatre. This involved managing consultations with the theatre management, multiple stakeholders and the city council on the competing demands; including facilitating public forum to test the theatre management’s understanding of ‘needs’.

The brief was then tested via a series of options for adaptation and enhancement, and an agreed staged proposal endorsed.

The project is now being reviewed by the client and moves into the financial modelling and funding stage prior to implementation.

Enhancing SA’s initiative to attract world leading international universities, University College London (UCL) has arrived in Adelaide.  UCL is currently ranked fourth in the world and its School of Energy and Resources has been established in the State Heritage Torrens Building, Victoria Square.  The design team embraced the opportunity to create a refreshing and bold statement challenging UCL’s previous interior design ideals to create their first international campus with a presence of its own in South Australia.

Working within the constraints of the heritage fabric, the concept explores the notion of ‘the old’ (the Torrens Building itself) and ‘the new’ (UCL’s first International Campus). New walls and joinery are detailed to be independent and easily removed and are designed to appear more as art installations within the spaces.

The fitout is unexpected, bold and sophisticated consisting of seminar and teaching rooms, student study and recreational areas, executive and administrative suites, intermingled with facilities for visiting staff and researchers. The alliance between UCL and Adelaide is visually celebrated throughout the spaces, expressed within graphics and art installations.

This quality project was delivered on time and under budget resulting in a rewarding and successful outcome for both the design team and the client.

This 1878 primary school was destroyed by fire in January 2006 leaving only the stone walls standing.

The reconstruction was based on detailed investigations of the remaining fabric and historical records. The work involved the replacement of the roof structure to match the original design and recreating the elegance of the original internal volumes of spaces which had long been lost due to past accretions.

Working with the school community and a demanding programme, the building has been adapted to meet the flexibility demanded by contemporary teaching practices, while conserving the buildings remaining fabric and providing a high quality, creative learning environment.

Elder Hall is a significant element of the North Terrace ‘Cultural Boulevard’, and forms an important part of the public face of the University of Adelaide. Constructed in 1898, the hall was built to house the Elder Conservatorium of Music and served as the University’s ‘Great Hall’ until 1936. It is widely known as a venue for fine classical music.

Swanbury Penglase brought together an experienced team to prepare a Conservation Management Plan for the building. After thorough investigation and research, detail policies and staged actions were formulated. This included the major stone deterioration problems which are evident.

The document establishes a framework for conserving its heritage value as well as allowing evolution to reflect contemporary teaching and performance requirements.

Built in 1897 to the design of Architect John Quinton Bruce, heritage listed ‘Carclew’ on Montefiore Hill in North Adelaide is well known for its circular corner tower with its distinctive conical lead clad roof. In 2006 the roof was found to be at risk of collapse and a threat to the significance of the building and the safety of the public.

Immediate works were undertaken to the tower and involved extensive research of the use of lead before documentation of work. This involved extensive repairs to the underlying timber structure, installation of new lead carefully fabricated to match the original design, window repairs and reconstructions of various other elements.

The works have helped to reinforce the appreciation of Carclew’s architectural qualities and the now rarely seen trade skills used in its construction, whilst ensuring the conservation of its fabric and its cultural significance for