Hamer Hall

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RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Hamer Hall is Melbourne's main concert hall. It is a 1982 heritage-listed building by architect Sir Roy Grounds, with interiors by John Truscott. The building's redevelopment by ARM in 2012 repaired its performance acoustics to world standards, and installed state-of-the-art stage technology and back-of-house facilities. It is an outstanding heritage response to an important civic and heritage place of architectural, social and cultural significance. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION: ARM's underlying task was to repair Hamer Hall's standing as a major civic building and make it a 21st-century venue. The building represents two artistic discourses in Melbourne: the architectural story of the castle and the mine: the theatrical story of the palace and the cave of jewels. ARM reinterpreted these narratives and added their voice to the story of Hamer Hall. According to jury citation, the sophistication of the design proposition and its execution allowed an approach which restores and celebrates the works of both Grounds and Truscott, adding a third voice that challenges and plays with its predecessors with wit and exuberance. This project exemplifies ARM's radical contribution to the dissemination of ideas and development of an acute, experimental and critical architectural culture in Melbourne and, more broadly, Australia. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: The project won multiple awards at the 2013 Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) National Awards: the Lachlan Macquarie Award - Heritage Architecture; Marion Mahony Award - Interior Design; National Commendation - Public Architecture; and National Commendation - Urban Design. At the 2013 AIA VIC Chapter Awards, it won: Public Architecture Award - Alterations & Additions; and John George Knight Award - Heritage Architecture. This demonstrates the significance of ARM's practice which, in 2016, was awarded the Gold Medal - the highest award of the AIA to recognise distinguished service by Australian architects.