With the establishment of Council’s Corporate Centre at Sandringham, the more traditional Brighton Civic Precinct is also undergoing a major transformation. Many under utilised and poorly maintained buildings have been revitalised providing a vibrant new hub of community activity.
Under the scheme, these important buildings, that lend the area its special character, have been refurbished, upgraded and adapted for new community activities. This includes the Victorian period Town Hall, the old Courthouse and the former Municipal Offices.
The Offices were located in a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired round building, modelled on the Guggenheim Museum in the United States.
One of the few modern era buildings to be included on the Heritage Register, the former Offices have been gutted and refurbished to accommodate a new purpose built high tech library on the ground floor, with Council Chambers located upstairs.
The Town Hall is being reinvented as an Arts and Cultural Centre, with Council maintaining control of the main auditorium and function room. The rest of the building has been leased to groups including the Brighton Historical Society, the Brighton Theatre Company and the Brighton Arts Society.
The Courthouse has been renovated to accommodate youth activities. The Civic Precinct has been relandscaped to provide a Japanese theme garden in keeping with the architectural style of the new library building. New paving and car parking, along with the planting of street trees is designed to add to the aesthetic value and amenity of the area.
For further information contact Melissa Rogers, telephone (03) 9599 4444.
