Conrad Gargett was an Australian architecture and design practice founded in Brisbane in 1890, one of Queensland's earliest architectural firms. The practice operated out of studios in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Townsville and Addis Ababa. In 2023, it merged with Australian architecture firm, Architectus.
Establishment
Conrad Gargett Architecture was established as HW Atkinson in 1890 by Henry Wallace Atkinson with the winning design for the new Brisbane Head Fire Station. Charles McLay joined Atkinson to form the partnership HW Atkinson & Chas McLay in 1907. The practice subsequently assumed the position of Diocesan Architect to the Anglican Church, designing several schools and churches in South East Queensland. Following the death of McLay in 1918, the practice was renamed Atkinson & Conrad when Arnold Conrad became a partner. The new firm was noted for its use of the distinctive Spanish Mission style in many of its projects. The practice was also appointed to the position of Hospital Architect by various hospital boards and played a large role in the design of hospitals in Queensland between 1920–80, including extensive projects at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, South Brisbane Auxiliary Hospital (now Princess Alexandra Hospital), Prince Charles Hospital and Gold Coast Hospital. Following their appointment in 1926 as architects to the Brisbane and South Coast Hospital Board, the practice took on a new partner Lange Leopold Powell becoming Atkinson, Powell & Conrad.
During the post-war era, the firm now called AH Conrad & TBF Gargett (Thomas Brenan Femister Gargett having become a partner) became a prominent designer of commercial office towers in the Brisbane CBD. Most notable of these were the SGIO Building including the SGIO Theatre (now Suncorp Metway Plaza) and head offices for three of the big four banks. The MLC building, designed in 1955 with Bates Smart, was one of the first commercial office buildings to be built in the undecorated, modern style in Brisbane.
In 2017, a book titled Conrad Gargett was published detailing the history of the firm between 1890 and 2015. The book was edited by Robert Riddel, and attempts to provide a broader historical and architectural context to the various phases in which the practice has operated.
Growth Conrad Gargett formed after Conrad Gargett Architecture undertook a series of mergers with Riddel Architecture (2012) and Ancher Mortlock Woolley (2013). The contemporary firm is a multi-disciplinary practice, which specialises in health, education, heritage and defence.
Riddel Architecture was established in 1982 by Robert Riddel. The Brisbane-based practice focused on heritage, conservation and adaptive reuse projects. Notable works by the firm include the restoration and adaptive re-use of Brisbane's Customs House, the former Wests Furniture Showroom and the former Queensland National Bank at 308 Queen Street (in association with Donovan Hill).
Ancher Mortlock Woolley, initially called Ancher Mortlock & Murray, was established in 1946 by Sydney Ancher, Bryce Mortlock and Stuart Murray. The Sydney-based practice was later joined by Ken Woolley in 1964. The practice designed modern structures, winning both the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture and the Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture. Notable projects by the practice include Town Hall House and Sydney Square (1977) and more recently, the Royal Agricultural Showground Exhibition Halls and restoration of the State Library of Victoria.
As at 2022, Conrad Gargett employed over 200 staff and worked in varying scales and sectors including commercial, community and civic, defence, education and research, health, heritage, infrastructure, justice, residential, retail and Hospitality, seniors living, sport and leisure, transport, urban design and masterplanning, and workplace and interior design.
On 5 April 2023, it was announced that Conrad Gargett would merge with another large Australian practice Architectus, to create one of Australia's largest architecture firms, with over 700 employees.
Notable works
Conrad Gargett has designed some of Australia's landmark buildings, predominately in Queensland, including the following major architectural projects: Completed Firm name Project name Location Award Notes and Related Articles 1890 HW Atkinson Fire Brigade Head Station, Ann & Edward St Brisbane City 1892 Coorparoo School of Arts and RSL Memorial Hall Coorparoo 1903 Wesleyan Methodist Church, Linton Street Kangaroo Point 1906 Brisbane Fruit & Produce Markets, Turbot St Brisbane 1906 Queensland Brewery (additions) Fortitude Valley 1907 HW Atkinson & Charles McLay Fire Station, Ann & Wharf St Brisbane 1907 Villa Residence "Denila", for FAJ Isles, Jordan Tce 1909 Ithaca Town Council Chambers Red Hill 1910 Fitzroy Chambers (renamed Commerce House) Brisbane City 1910 McWhirters & Son, Wickham & Warner St 1912 Desmond Chambers, Adelaide St Brisbane City 1918 Church of England Grammar School (Churchie) East Brisbane 1918 Trades and Labour Hall Brisbane City 1920 Atkinson & Conrad The Southport School Southport 1923 St Paul's Anglican Church and Columbarium East Brisbane 1925 Gordon and Gotch, Adelaide St Brisbane City 1926 Atcherley Private Hotel, Adelaide St Brisbane City 1926 Craigston Apartments, Wickham Tce Spring Hill 1926 Block 2 & Block 3, Royal Brisbane Hospital Herston 1927 Residence and rooms for Dr Hedley Brown Nundah 1927 Masonic Temple, Ann St (designed by Lange Powell) Brisbane City 1928 Atkinson, Powell & Conrad St John's Cathedral (abutment wall) Brisbane City 1928 National Australia Bank (180 Queen Street) (with A & K Henderson) Brisbane City 1929 Brisbane Boys' College 1929 Lady Lamington Nurses Home (additions), Royal Brisbane Hospital Herston 1930 Royal Women's Hospital, Royal Brisbane Hospital Herston 1930 Tristram's Factory (Tristram's West End Market) West End 1934 Somerville House Library South Brisbane 1935 Courier-Mail Building (with Meldrum & Turner), Queen St Brisbane City 1935 Finney Isles & Co Building (additions), Queen St (now David Jones) Brisbane City 1951 AH Conrad & TBF Gargett South Brisbane Auxiliary Hospital (now Princess Alexandra Hospital) 1953 Cromwell College, University of Queensland 1953 Prince Charles Hospital (Sanatorium & Nurses Quarters) 1954 St John's College, University of Queensland St Lucia 1955 MLC (with Bates Smart), Adelaide & Edward St Brisbane City 1958 Women's College, University of Queensland St Lucia 1960 St John's Cathedral (extension to nave) Brisbane City 1960 Physiology Lecture Theatres, University of Queensland St Lucia 1961 Commonwealth Bank Building, King George Square Brisbane City 1962 Queensland Newspapers Bowen Hills 1963 Bishopsbourne (Archbishop's Chapel) 1963 Sir William MacGregor Building, University of Queensland St Lucia 1965 Head Fire Station, Kemp Place Fortitude Valley 1965 The Age Newspapers Tullamarine, Melbourne 1967 SGIO Offices and Theatre Brisbane City 1968 Block 7 & Block 8, Royal Brisbane Hospital Herston 1970 Brisbane Administration Centre and City Plaza Brisbane City 1971 ANZ Head Office, Queen & Creek St Brisbane City 1971 100 George Street, Executive Building (with State Dept. of Works) Brisbane City 1972 Central Railway Administration Building, Central Station (with Civil & Civic) Brisbane City 1973 Comalco House, George & Ann St (now State Law Building) Brisbane City 1974 National Bank House (formerly Estates House) Brisbane City 1978 Conrad Gargett and Partners National Mutual Centre, Edward & Charlotte St (with Civil & Civic) Brisbane City 1981 Santos House and Rowes Arcade, Adelaide St Brisbane City 1981 Queensland Parliament House (conservation with State Dept. of Works) Brisbane City 1982 Sheraton Hotel (now Sofitel), Central Station Brisbane City 1983 The Mansions (conservation), George St Brisbane City 1985 Queensland Mapping and Surveying Building Woolloongabba 1989 Commonwealth Bank Head Office, Queen & Edward St Brisbane City 1990 St Martin's House (adaptive reuse), St John's Cathedral Precinct Brisbane City 1991 Queensland Newspapers Murarrie 1992 State Law Building (renovation), Ann St Brisbane City 1993 Therapies and Anatomy, University of Queensland St Lucia 1995 Conrad Gargett Brisbane Customs House Brisbane CBD(state heritage place) 1996 Balmoral Water Reserve Brisbane City 1999 Brisbane City Hall Brisbane City(state heritage place) 2000 Australian Catholic University Masterplan Banyo 2000 Spring Hill Baths Brisbane City(state heritage place) 2001 RAAF Base Amberley Redevelopment Amberley 2001 St Stephens Cathedral Brisbane City(state heritage place) 2003 Blackall Woolscour conservation Blackall (state heritage place) 2004 Brisbane City Hall Brisbane City 2004 Combined Mess Facility, RAAF Base Townsville Townsville 2004 Clinical Science Building I Griffith University Brisbane City 2005 State Library of Victoria Redevelopment Melbourne City 2006 St Stephen's Cathedral Precinct Brisbane City 2009 Warroo Shire Hall Warroo(state heritage place) 2009 Barambah Station Barambah 2009 Holy Spirit Seminary, Brisbane Australian Catholic University Banyo 2009 Old Government House Conservation and Adaptation Gardens Point (state heritage place) 2009 Former West's Furniture Showroom Fortitude Valley 2010 Queen Victoria Building Refurbishment Sydney CBD 2011 Australian Tropical Science Innovation Project Townsville 2012 Harvey's Bistro Fortitude Valley 2013 Emergency Shelter Competition Brisbane City 2013 BDO Workplace Brisbane 2013 Harrison Grierson Workplace Brisbane 2013 Goddard Building Rooftop Expansion University of Queensland St Lucia 2013 Mt Isa Hospital Redevelopment 2014 St Stephen's Hospital 2014 Queensland Children's Hospital (with Lyons) South Brisbane 2014ACU St John Paul II Building TBrisbane, Queensland 2015 St John Paul II Building Australian Catholic University Banyo 2015 General Electric Headquarters Springfield, Queensland 2015 Brian Wilson Chancellery, University of Queensland St Lucia2016The Piano MillStanthorpe, Queensland World Architecture Festival — Culture - Category Winner (2018)2016Collection House WorkplaceBrisbane, Queensland2016Griffith University Aquatic Centre and GymGold Coast, Queensland Australian Institute of Architects, Queensland Architecture Award — Building of the Year (Gold Coast region)2016UQ Whitty BuildingBrisbane, Queensland AIA Awards — Queensland Architecture Awards - Heritage Silver Heritage Award for Conservation — National Trust Queensland Heritage Award2017St Laurence’s STEM and Sports CentreBrisbane, Queensland2017QUT Gardens Point OJW Conference VenueBrisbane, Queensland2018Africa Hall RedevelopmentAddis Ababa, Ethiopia2018Coorparoo SquareBrisbane, Queensland Property Council of Australia's Innovation and Excellence Award — National Winner for Best Mixed Use Development2018Queensland Theatre’s Bille Brown TheatreBrisbane, Queensland2018North Shore State SchoolTownsville, Queensland2018Sydney Ferry Wharves Upgrade ProjectSydney, New South Wales Sydney Ferry Wharves Upgrade Project - Conrad Gargett2019MaritimoBrisbane, Queensland 2022 AIA Architecture Awards — Commended for Brisbane Region Heritage Architecture2019Glenala State High SchoolBrisbane, Queensland2019Ogden Street Transport Revitalisation ProjectTownsville, Queensland2020Proserpine Administration and Local Disaster Coordination CentreProserpine, Queensland 2022 AIA Regional Awards North Queensland, Walter and Oliver Tunbridge Building of the Year, North Queensland 2022 AIA Regional Awards North Queensland, Commendation2020Smalls Road Public SchoolRyde, Sydney2020Rockhampton Performing Arts and Convention CentreRockhampton, Queensland2020Newcastle Station Stage 2 Redevelopment & Public RealmNewcastle, New South Wales 2021 PIA Awards for Planning Excellence, NSW — Great Place Award