The Gatehouse project provided the Building Management Authority’s design team with the opportunity to combine both a contemporary design adaptation of the ground floor accommodation and restoration of the first floor rooms.
The original function of the Gatehouse as the access control for the site has been retained. The design concept for the entry and reception adaptation is visibly distinct from the original building fabric in accordance with current conservation practice and the Fremantle Prison Conservation Policy.
The former Deputy Superintendent’s yard had been covered in the 1960s, and more recently served as the Officers’ Dining Room. This area provided the design team with an opportunity to clearly interpret the original spaces. The light-filled courtyard has been enhanced with the removal of both the roof and the cement render, revealing the original stone wall. The light and humane atmosphere of the café provides respite day and night for visitors to the prison.
The first floor rooms, originally used as accommodation for the gatekeeper and chief warder, has been restored to their original decoration while providing viable office accommodation. Detailed research formed the basis of material for interpretation and reinstatement of original paint colours, stencils and finishes. The four rooms are linked by the clocktower passage containing the counterweights of the Fremantle Prison clock’s mechanism. Air-conditioning to current standards has been provided with minimal intervention.
The detailed design was developed within the parameters of the Conservation Policy and in close consultation with Fremantle Prison Trust Advisory Committee, The Heritage Council of WA, the Fremantle City Council and local interest groups.
The design and management of the Gatehouse project by the BMA’s Heritage and Special Projects Branch has ensured that the adaptation of this significant landmark has retained the cultural heritage significance of the building within the context of the Fremantle Prison. The Gatehouse project was refurbished by the BMA’s Construction Operations Directorate.
(Currently Houses: Fremantle Prison Guardians, Moondyne Joes's Café and Ice Cream Parlour, Gatehouse Gift Shop, Convict Café).
Technical Diagrams
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© Fremantle Prison 2002
