phillimore street
Year:
2022 - 2025
Location:
Fremantle, WA
Use:
Office Space
Activation Partner:
Adrian Fini &
Nic Trimboli
Size:
26 Office Spaces
Reactivating a Heritage Building into a Creative Workplace Hub
The Space
SPACEMRKT’s Phillimore Street activation reimagined the heritage-listed Robert Harper Building in Fremantle’s historic West End as a vibrant, multi-tenant workplace. Delivered in partnership with Adrian Fini and Nic Trimboli, the project transformed a long-underutilised asset through a light-touch, cost-effective activation approach.
Built in the late 1800s, the building was sensitively adapted to accommodate 36 office suites across multiple levels. Flexible leasing and minimal refurbishment enabled a diverse mix of creative, professional and community-based tenants to occupy the space, while retaining the character and heritage value of the building.
The Impact
Over the course of the activation, the site supported more than 30 tenants, including Fremantle Biennale, Nic Brunsdon Architects, Plastic Free July, Denada Ice Cream, Shelter Brewing, Kinn & Co Events, Yogazeit, and a range of artists and creative studios.
The project demonstrated how underutilised heritage buildings can be successfully reactivated through adaptive reuse, generating economic activity while strengthening Fremantle’s creative and cultural ecosystem. By prioritising accessibility, affordability and flexibility, SPACEMRKT delivered a sustainable model for revitalising historic assets — showing that meaningful activation doesn’t require major capital investment, just considered design and strong partnerships.