Rechabite Hall | |
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![]() The Rechabite Hall in January 2021 | |
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General information | |
Type | Heritage listed building |
Location | Perth, Western Australia |
Coordinates | 31°56′55″S 115°51′36″E / 31.948658°S 115.859864°E |
Type | State Registered Place |
Designated | 20 December 2002 |
Reference no. | 2155 |
Rechabite Hall is a heritage-listed building in Perth, Western Australia, located at 224 William Street. [1] It has operated as The Rechabite since 2019. [2] It was constructed in 1924 for the Independent Order of Rechabites – a friendly society and part of the temperance movement – and was a popular dance hall in the 1920s. [2] It was also used for balls, exhibitions, church services, conferences, annual meetings, school productions, and as an election polling station. [3] [4]
The hall was also a theatre venue and live music venue until it was damaged by a fire in 1980. [2] The street level remained in use as shops. [5] The building closed in the early 2000s in a state of disrepair. [2] In the interim, performances were still held there in the early 2000s. [6]
The building was listed on the City of Perth's heritage list in 2001, and on the State Register of Heritage Places in 2002. In 2016, approval was given for a $3 million refurbishment, [3] and it re-opened in November 2019 [2] as four venues: a rooftop bar, a basement club, a performance hall and an eatery. [7] [8]
Rechabite Hall was designed by architect Edwin Summerhayes, as his last major work, in the Inter-War Free Classical style. The facade, entry foyer and hall are particularly noteworthy examples of the style; other significant architectural features include the entry hall's mosaic tile floor, main jarrah staircase, and the main hall's vaulted ceiling – extensively lined with pressed metal embossed decorative patterns. The hall is in a generally sound condition, with a moderate degree of historical integrity and authenticity. Damage from the 1980 fire is evident, and there have been some internal modifications made in the basement and the northern shopfront. [5]
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