The ‘iconic’ Indiana Teahouse on Cottesloe Beach is now part of a state heritage place, potentially complicating plans for its redevelopment.
The Cottesloe Beach Precinct was finalized as a heritage place on 7 June, along with nine other culturally significant places including Victoria Quay and the South Fremantle Power Station. The Indiana Teahouse restaurant, which was built in the mid-1990s, is described in the assessment documentation as “an iconic landmark in the precinct that is well recognized by the local and wider community as well as international tourists.”
This acknowledgement comes after the company that owns the restaurant, Andrew Forrest’s Minderoo, proposed knocking down the building and launched a design competition for its replacement.
But, speaking to the local Post Newspapers, a spokesperson for the developer said the heritage listing had been expected and that the conservation management plan (CMP) for the area, produced by the Forrest-controlled Fiveight in April 2021 and endorsed by council, made allowance for the listing.
The Indiana Teahouse.
That CMP details how perceptions of the building have changed over time. Built in 1996 to designs by architect Laurie Scanlan, the restaurant was based on the Centenary Pavilion which graced the site from 1929 to 1983 and was intended to be reminiscent of the early British colonial architectural style.
Cottesloe Beach Precinct was added to the State Register of Heritage Places in 2004 with “Interim” status, its statement of significance noting “While the Indiana Teahouse represents the continuation of a historic use, the present building has little significance.”
That statement was amended in 2018 to read, “The Indiana Teahouse is an iconic landmark in the precinct that is well recognised by the local and wider community as well as international tourists, and is the most recent manifestation of the distinctive tradition of built form in this location on the beachfront.”
The CMP, authored by Perth firm Element, explains this change in perception was in part due to the rise of social media attention on the building, which peaked in 2012 when American pop star Taylor Swift came to the city.
The authors note that Swift had mistakenly thought the building dated from 1910, writing in her diary, “We went to this restaurant right on the beach called Indiana. It was built in 1910 and looked like an old fancy hotel. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve been with old world arches and moldings, antique tables and big French doors opening out to views of azure blue ocean.”
This glowing review, the CMP authors noted, was picked up and not corrected by the local media, contributing to the building’s status as a tourist attraction.
The CMP also noted the teahouse’s inclusion on a list of Perth’s most iconic works of architecture published in Fremantle Press’s 2019 book Built. In that book, Western Australian architect Tom McKendrick states “In the architectural world, we’re not usually into things designed to look like they were built in an earlier time. But architecture has to be about more than bricks and mortar. It’s always site specific, about the building’s interaction with the public and with history, the part it’s played in Western Australian life. Indiana is a prime example of that … it’s more than what it’s made of.”
With the finalization of the Cottesloe Beach Precinct heritage listing, any redevelopment of the teahouse will have to be sympathetic to the beachfront’s heritage values.
Proposal for the redevelopment of the Indiana Tea House site by Durbach Block Jaggers Architects with Ohlo Studio and Aspect Studios.
A scheme designed by Durbach Block Jaggers, Ohlo Studio and Aspect Studios won the design competition for the replacement of Indiana Teahouse, however, it only received 10 percent of the public vote. Minderoo Group (now Tattarang) decided not to proceed with the jury’s decision and instead went back to drawing board with other design options.
Fiveight head John Meredith told Post Newspapers the firm would continue working with the Town of Cottesloe to deliver the best outcome for the site.
“We have heard the people of Perth loud and clear,” he said. “They want us to deliver a new chapter for Indiana and we’re going to make this happen.”
