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On 28 January 2022, the Metro Inner-North Joint Development Assessment Panel unanimously approved a facade colour amendment for Blackburne’s The Grove apartment development in Claremont, Western Australia. The change replaced white with charcoal on specified elevations facing Stirling Highway, Airlie Street and Brighton Park, and on the top two floors containing penthouses. The architect said the darker central element would create a wider shadow between the building’s two forms; Town of Claremont’s planning manager objected that the scheme would make it darker and more dominant.
What colour changes did the panel approve?
The panel approved a colour amendment to the existing development, not a new project approval. PerthNow reported that the proposal changed white facade areas to charcoal on elevations facing Stirling Highway, Airlie Street and Brighton Park. It also changed the white facade on the top two floors, which contain penthouses, to charcoal. The panel approved the amendment unanimously at its Friday meeting on 28 January 2022. (PerthNow, 28 January 2022)
Why did the design team want a darker facade?
James Thompson, director of MJA Studio, said a white finish would accentuate the building’s “verticality”. He described the charcoal central element as a way to “create a wider shadow between two forms”. Thompson said the team believed the amendment would improve how the design reads both nearby and at a distance. These were the architect’s stated design intentions, rather than an independent assessment of the visual result. (PerthNow, 28 January 2022)
Why did the colour change draw objections?
Town of Claremont planning manager Kym Petani argued that the charcoal scheme would make the building “much darker” and “much more dominant”. Petani said it did not match the “light and airy” structure the Design Review Panel had sought. Councillor Kate Main raised concern about how brown elements might stand out against the sky, including in views from Rottnest, Como or Bicton. (PerthNow, 28 January 2022)
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John Syme, a specialist panel member, offered a different visual interpretation, saying the dark colours would reduce the building’s apparent bulk and scale. The debate therefore turned on competing design criteria: whether charcoal would create useful depth and diminish perceived mass, or instead make the development look darker and more prominent. The reported comments do not independently establish which interpretation is correct.
How should the $350 million figure be understood?
The $350 million in the headline is historical project-value framing, not the value of the colour amendment or a current valuation. Multiplex’s builder announcement used that figure. (Multiplex announcement)
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A separate article hosted by Blackburne and attributed to Business News reported on 19 January 2022 that the project was valued at at least $380 million, up by at least $30 million from a mid-2021 estimate of $350 million. That report covered a revised development application with apartment mergers and layout changes; its higher figure should not be treated as a value assigned to the facade amendment. (Blackburne, 19 January 2022)
Was the colour approval connected to a reduction in apartments?
No connection is established in the reports. PerthNow described The Grove as a 245-apartment project approved in 2020 when reporting the colour amendment. Separately, Blackburne’s January 2022 article attributed to Business News described a revised application that would reduce the count to 229 apartments following apartment amalgamations and layout changes. That separate revision should not be presented as a consequence of the colour decision.
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For context on the initial proposal, a June 2020 Blackburne article attributed to WA Today described a 15,741-square-metre site and said around 60 per cent of the whole project would be open space, with 40 per cent for public parks. Those are figures from that earlier account, not details of the 2022 colour amendment. (Blackburne, June 2020)
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is established about the project today?
Blackburne’s project page identifies The Grove Residences at 1 Airlie Street, Claremont, and advertises a display suite. The page and the historical builder announcement do not establish the development’s construction or completion status as of 8 October 2026. (Blackburne, The Grove Residences)
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