Conrad Gargett is an Australian architecture and design practice delivering expertise globally. It was founded in Brisbane in 1890 and is one of Queensland's oldest architectural firms. The practice operates out of studios in Brisbane,

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Townsville and Addis Ababa.

Establishment

Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, Brisbane

The Dome, Sydney Olympic Park (5715512618)

National Australia Bank building, 308 Queen Street, Brisbane

Conrad Gargett Architecture was established as HW Atkinson in 1890 by

Henry Wallace Atkinson Henry Wallace Atkinson (22 April 1866 – 26 April 1938) was an architect in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Many of his works are now heritage-listed. Early life Henry Wallace Atkinson was born on 22 April 1866 in Brisbane, the son of Paul Cole ...

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 Arnold may refer to: People * Arnold (given name), a masculine given name * Arnold (surname), a German and English surname Places Australia * Arnold, Victoria, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria Canada * Arnold, Nova Scotia Un ...

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 The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) is a tertiary public hospital located in Herston, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is operated by Metro North Health, part of the Queensland Health network. The hospital has 929 bed ...

, South Brisbane Auxiliary Hospital (now Princess Alexandra Hospital), Prince Charles Hospital and

Gold Coast Hospital Gold Coast Hospital, located at 98–136 Nerang Street, Southport was, from 1960 to 2013 a major teaching and referral hospital and the third largest in Queensland. The Gold Coast Hospital had one of the busiest emergency departments in the s ...

. 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 Lange Leopold Powell (1886–1938) was a noted architect who designed many important buildings in Brisbane and the state of Queensland. He started practice in 1909; his major works included St Martin's War Memorial Hospital (opened 1922) and ...

becoming Atkinson, Powell & Conrad. During the post-war era, the firm now called AH Conrad & TBF Gargett (

Thomas Brenan Femister Gargett Thomas Brenan Femister Gargett (1898–1975) was an architect in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Many of his buildings have been heritage-listed. He is one of the original founders of Conrad Gargett, a long-running architectural practice in Bri ...

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 Suncorp Plaza is a high-rise building in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Suncorp Plaza, formerly known as the SGIO Building and Theatre, is located on the intersection of Albert and Turbot Streets. The building is opposite the Brisbane Den ...

) and head offices for three of the

big four banks The Big Four (or Big 4) is the colloquial name given to the four main banks in several countries where the banking industry is dominated by just four institutions and where the phrase has thus gained relevance. Some countries include more or less i ...

. 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 The Queensland National Bank is a former bank in Queensland, Australia. History In 1872, the bank was established in Brisbane. In December 1914, the bank had its head office in Brisbane with branches throughout Queensland at Allora, Aramac, ...

at 308 Queen Street (in association with

Donovan Hill Donovan Hill was a Brisbane, Australia, based architecture firm that was founded by Brian Donovan, Timothy Hill in 1992. The firm worked extensively in Brisbane, growing from a workforce of four to 50 within their 17-year existence. Donovan Hill's ...

). Ancher Mortlock Woolley, initially called Ancher Mortlock & Murray, was established in 1946 by Sydney Ancher,

Bryce Mortlock Harold Bryce Mortlock , LFRAIA, (14 October 1921 – 3 July 2004) was an Australian architect and planner, alongside Sydney Ancher, Stuart Murray and Ken Woolley. His career spanned the era which saw the consolidation of modern Australian arc ...

and Stuart Murray. The Sydney-based practice was later joined by

Ken Woolley Kenneth Frank Charles Woolley, AM B Arch, Hon DSc Arch Sydney LFRAIA, FTSE, Architect, (29 May 1933 – 25 November 2015) was an Australian architect. In a career spanning 60 years, he is best known for his contributions to project housing wit ...

in 1964. The practice designed modern structures, winning both the

Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture The Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture is a national architecture award presented annually by the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) since 1981. The named award is given to the work adjudicated to be the most significant for th ...

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 State Library Victoria (SLV) is the state library of Victoria, Australia. Located in Melbourne, it was established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, making it Australia's oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in the ...

Current

Conrad Gargett comprises over 200 inspired team members, each guided by the same values, social responsibility and unwavering commitment to elevating the practice's distinct design culture. The breadth and depth of their experience is evidenced in their rich portfolio, showcasing over 130 years of diverse projects varying in scale and complexity, and a global clientele spanning a variety of 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). The specialist teams have a strong reputation of delivering on the practice's core purpose of creating meaningful places for people. To each project, the practice brings an unrivalled vision, innovative design and world leading expertise built upon the vibrant legacy of creating award-winning architecture and design for over a century.