Hassell (architecture firm)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Architecture, design, urban planning |
| Founded | 1 January 1938 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Founder | Colin Hassell, Philip R. Claridge, Jack McConnell |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia, China, Singapore, United States, United Kingdom |
| Products | Architecture, design, urban planning services |
Hassell operates as a comprehensive architecture, design, and urban planning practice with locations across Australia, China, Singapore, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Originating in 1938 in Adelaide, South Australia, the firm has undergone several name changes, previously identified as Claridge, Hassell and McConnell, Hassell, McConnell and Partners, and Hassell and Partners Pty. Ltd. It is particularly noted for its work on the Adelaide Festival Centre, which debuted in 1973.
History
Founded in Adelaide in 1938 by Colin Hassell, Philip R. Claridge, and Jack McConnell, the firm experienced significant growth following World War II when Hassell returned from service and the company was renamed Hassell, McConnell and Partners after Claridge retired in 1949. Expansion included establishing branches in Melbourne and Canberra. Architect John Morphett, whose design philosophy was shaped by Bauhaus principles and modernism, joined the team in 1962. Throughout the 1970s, operating as Hassell and Partners Pty. Ltd., additional offices were launched in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth with Hassell serving as Senior Principal and Managing Director.
The Adelaide Festival Centre project commenced in 1970 under chief designer John Morphett’s leadership; its theatre opened three years later. This development was acclaimed as a landmark achievement within South Australian modern architecture. After 1978, the firm adopted the simplified name Hassell.
By 2010, Hassell had grown to become Australia's largest architectural firm and ranked 25th worldwide. It retained its position as Australia's leading practice for several years according to the BD World Architecture 100 survey.
In 2019, as Australia's second-largest design company at that time, Hassell declared intentions to shut down its original Adelaide office by 2021 to concentrate on key metropolitan markets. Major projects underway then included the Adelaide GPO redevelopment, enhancements to the Festival Centre, and expansion of the Adelaide Airport terminal. Despite closing its physical office space in Adelaide, Hassell sustained its presence locally through a consultancy managed by three principal architects based in the city.
Accolades
The firm has received numerous national honors from the Australian Institute of Architects for projects such as Sydney Olympic Park railway station (1998), VS1/SA Water building in Adelaide (2009), ANZ Centre located in Melbourne’s Docklands, stations along the Epping to Chatswood railway line (2010), and the Australian National University Birch Building Refurbishment (2022).
In 2023, Hassell was awarded a Civic Trust Award for designing the First Light Pavilion Visitor's Centre at Jodrell Bank Observatory.
Selected projects
Hassell’s earliest significant commission was an Art Deco structure situated at 2 King William Street for the Bank of New South Wales.
Australia
- Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, 1973
- Olympic Park railway station, Sydney, 1998
- North Ryde railway station, North Ryde, 2009
- ANZ Centre, Docklands, 2010
- Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth, 2013
- National Institute of Dramatic Art Graduate School, Sydney, 2015
- Perth Stadium, Perth, 2017
- Western Australian Museum (WA Museum Boola Bardip), Perth, 2019; collaboration with OMA
- UWA EZONE Student Hub, Perth, 2020
- AMRF First Building (part of Aerotropolis Masterplan for Western Sydney Airport), Sydney; ongoing
- Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation, Melbourne; ongoing
United Kingdom
- Sky UK London Headquarters (Sky Central Workplace), London, 2016
- Brighton Business School, Brighton, 2021
- First Light Pavilion Visitor Centre at Jodrell Bank Observatory, Macclesfield, 2022
China
- HSBC QRC Suites, Hong Kong, 2021