Woods Bagot has produced new designs for the redevelopment of the now-heritage listed Indiana Teahouse at Perth’s Cottesloe Beach.
Built in the mid-1990s in a mock colonial style, but based on the Centenary Pavilion, which occupied the site from 1929 to 1983, the building has become a famous feature of the Perth beach, sometimes mistaken for being much older than it is. It was added to the state heritage register earlier in 2021 in recognition of its status as an “iconic landmark” after a design competition was held for the replacement of the building.
Durbach Block Jaggers, Ohlo Studio and Aspect Studios won the competition, but a public vote revealed that only 10 percent of respondents preferred the jury’s choice and the site’s owner Minderoo Group (now Tattarang) decided not to proceed with the winning design.
The latest proposal calls for two separate but interconnected structures stepping down towards the ocean, with the existing Teahouse building retained and redeveloped and a new building occupied by a 31-room hotel added at the rear of the site.
Indiana Teahouse redevelopment by Woods Bagot.
Image: Woods Bagot
Tattarang says it will create a modern and accessible beachside precinct with new restaurants, cafes and family-friendly kiosks, a promenade and covered public plaza.
The project would also include the delivery of a new boat storage shed for the Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club, to the south of the Teahouse. The 1980s boat storage facility at the beach level of the Teahhouse building would be replaced with a range of public facilities, including toilets, showers an accessible changing room.
Tattarang director Nicola Forrest said redevelopment would respect the history of the site. “We share the community’s passion to retain Indiana’s iconic western façade and to preserve the building’s legacy for future generations,” she said. “As the committed custodians of this important site, we believe Indiana can, and should, play a more meaningful role in the lives of locals and visitors alike, and our ambitions are clear: we want to deliver the best beachside precinct in Australia; one for all Western Australians to enjoy.”
