Check out the new designs for the $400m Carillon City redevelopment

Defunct CBD shopping centre Carillon City’s long-awaited redevelopment has reached a new stage, with a development proposal submitted by Fiveight to the City of Perth just before Christmas.

Designed by the Melbourne arm of international architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in collaboration with Hames Sharley, the estimated $400m new-look Carillon City draws inspiration from Western Australia’s natural landscapes, incorporating organic forms and materials that echo the rugged topography of the Pilbara and the flowing curves of the Swan River.

Forming a connective link between Northbridge and Elizabeth Quay, the redevelopment will include two towers on either side of a connective open-air central plaza: one home to a 17-storey hotel and the other to 30 stories of student accommodation.

Beneath the towers, a podium will house four levels of hospitality and retail centred around the open-air plaza. Incorporating native Australian flora and celebrating Perth’s “comfortable climate”, the undulating form and various levels aim to welcome a sense of discovery and respite from the surrounding urban landscape.

While the hotel’s pedestrian access will be via Hay Street, the main lobby will be on the podium rooftop level – which will also include a destination restaurant and the hotel’s pool.

“The design aims to create a central gathering destination for the city and foster a larger urban sense of community,” reads the submission.

“As the forms of the architecture expand and contract at different points through the retail podium, open spaces such as the amphitheatre and the walkway connecting to Murray Street become zones for social engagement and activity.”

The Carillon City site is one of the largest landholdings in the Perth CBD. In 2016, it was purchased by Dexus for a reported $140 million, with plans for a $200 million redevelopment that were later abandoned. In 2022, the site was purchased by Forrest family investment firm Tattarang’s property division Fiveeight in a deal reportedly worth over $80 million.