Allowing the Kingston Arts Precinct to proceed as proposed would risk significantly devaluing the power of heritage protections in the ACT, a leading heritage architect has warned.
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Eric Martin said Geocon's proposal, which was presented to stakeholders last Wednesday, did not fit with the requirements of the Powerhouse's citation on the ACT's heritage register.
Mr Martin said any erosion of heritage protections in the ACT would see a reduction in the long-term marketability of Canberra's benefits.
The Kingston Powerhouse precinct's citation says new development should have similar architectural character and should only be approved if does not affect the "landmark qualities" of the Powerhouse and Fitters' Workshop.
The citation also identifies a list of heritage features, which includes the Powerhouse, the Fitters' Workshop, landscaping, the switch room and the alignment of the original railway.
Mr Martin said there was a wonderful opportunity to develop an arts precinct around the Powerhouse, which was converted into the Canberra Glassworks in 2007.
"I think there is scope to put some further development on the car parks but I think it should respect the established criteria and controls that have been set down under the Heritage Act," he said.
Mr Martin, who is the ACT National Trust's heritage spokesman, said he was concerned there was not much scope to make changes to the proposal.
"I would hope [the developer and the government] would engage with the community and that it's not locked down and there is scope to actually amend it, and hopefully amend to a way that the heritage values are protected.
"But at the moment I've got no confidence that that process will achieve any serious changes," he said.
Mr Martin said the Powerhouse should stand as a strong, identifiable element, rather than be hidden behind new development.
The alignment of a former railway line was an important part of the history of Canberra's development and development on the northern side of the site risked eroding the evidence of the line, Mr Martin said.
He said the plans did not fit with the requirements of the precinct's heritage citation.
"That's a real concern as to what extent the Heritage Council are either aware of it at the moment or will be forced into a compromise scenario, which I think is very unfair to them and is unfair to looking after and preserving our ongoing heritage," he said.
Mr Martin repeated his calls for the 1948 switch room to be retained. Demolition approval for the building, which currently houses resident artists at the Canberra Glassworks, was granted in 2014 before the arts precinct was put out for tender.
The approval expires in October and it would be a shame if the building were demolished before a full plan for the arts precinct was agreed to, Mr Martin said.
"Our aim would be to preserve and integrate the switch room into the final design in an appropriate way," he said.
An ACT government spokeswoman confirmed the switch room would not be demolished before the demolition approval expires.
"The developer has no ability to undertake any works on the land without the permission of the Suburban Land Agency as the land remains in territory ownership until the developer has met all contractual obligations," she said.
Consultation with statutory authorities about the proposal for the precinct has not started, she said.
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Architect David Sutherland, a director at Fender Katsalidis, which is designing the precinct for Geocon, told a media briefing last week that new buildings on the site would reflect the location of old industrial structures.
Mr Martin said the site had been open to Wentworth Avenue, except for a brief time when a structure was built between the road and the Powerhouse.
An aerial photograph of the site taken by the Australian Survey Office in October 1979 shows the Kingston Powerhouse rising above two buildings along the road, which did not obscure the Powerhouse's Wentworth Avenue-facing facade.
The footprints of buildings proposed in Geocon's design are closer to the Powerhouse than original buildings.
In a document released by Geocon, the developer said the new buildings referenced old structures and visitors "don't want to be able to see everything from everywhere".
The new buildings would "frame" the Powerhouse and Fitters' Workshop and improve their "perceptual importance", the document said.
Any development application lodged for work on the site will be referred to the ACT Heritage Council.