Address: 654 Beaufort St, Mount Lawley

Constructed: From 1905 to 1937

Demolition Year: N/A

Architect: W. G. Bennett

Architectural Style: Inter-War Functionalism

Original Use (Commercial): Shopping Complex & Office or Administration Building

Present Use (Commercial): Shopping Complex & Office and Administration Building

Statement of Significance: Beaucott Building, a two storey brick and iron building, in the Inter War Functionalist style, with parapeted hipped roof, projecting suspended canopy, and recessed glass fronted shop openings framed between brick piers, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: the place is a good example of a modest early twentieth century building extended and reconstructed in the Inter War Functionalist style of architecture that has retained a high level of integrity and authenticity; due to its prominent location at the intersection of two major arterial roads and its distinctive design, the place is a landmark in the Mt Lawley area, one of three in the group; Register of Heritage Places – Permanent Entry Beaucott Building 2 28/08/2001 the place is a key component of a substantially intact commercial precinct featuring a number of outstanding buildings in the Inter War Functionalist style, which is rare in the Perth Metropolitan Area and the State; the place, as refurbished, was designed by the well known Perth architect W. G. Bennett, who was a leading exponent of the Inter War Functionalist and Art Deco styles in Western Australia at this period; the place was the first building constructed on the prominent Beaufort and Walcott Street intersection, and the first to be refurbished in the Inter War Functionalist style which established the character of the precinct. Some internal and external features, such as the modified bathrooms and kitchen spaces to Units 1, 3 ,7 and 8 on the first floor of the building, the raised entry to shops including shops B and D, the store and WCs constructed adjacent eastern external wall of shop E, the display windows to shop D, and the Mezzanine constructed over shop B, are considered to be of little cultural heritage significance. The ramped and square formed entrances to shops D and B and the retaining wall to rear of shop D, together with the partition and aluminium framed windows enclosing verandahs to Units 2, 7 and 8, and the glass brick infill to Unit 3 Study/bedroom are regarded as intrusive. Furthermore, the accumulative effect of the ad hoc paint colour scheme, signage, changes to the form of the recessed entrances, display windows and brick piers on the exterior of the ground level is intrusive and obscures the strong sense of symmetry evident at the upper level.

Source: Register of Heritage Places-Permanent Entry: Beaucott Building. August 8th, 2001. Heritage Council of Western Australia.

Provenance: City of Stirling