Dolph Pemberton wants Townsville City Council chambers to be returned to its former glory

An architect who designed the Townsville City Council chambers on Walker St is fearful a change to his original design could depreciate the value the “excellence” of his project.

Retired architect Dolph Pemberton outside council building. Picture: Shae Beplate

An architect who designed the Townsville City Council chambers on Walker St is fearful a change to his original design could depreciate the value the “excellence” of his project.

Dolph Pemberton, 84, plans on appealing to the next council to change the building back to how it first looked.

He said high-end blue tiles made in Italy originally framed the windows of the building which had won a number of awards on its architectural merit.

But Mr Pemberton claimed builders used an alternate product to the one he suggested to secure the tiles.

“They took the cheaper option,” he said.

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After a few years some of the tiles fell off the building leading to them being removed and rendered over.

“I want them replaced. It devalues the building,” Mr Pemberton said.

Some tiles remain near the ground floor entrance where they are sheltered from the elements.

Mr Pemberton said the “best of everything” was used to build the Walker St building which was built for under $3 million in the 1970s.

The council held a competition for architecture firms to come up with the best design within the budget, which was won by Lund Hutton Newell and Paulsen who came up with a five-storey design.

But complications meant the design could not be made possible with the available money, leading to Mr Pemberton and Bob Clayton coming up with the brutalist design, featuring a high roof to allow air to move easily around.

Originally published as Dolph Pemberton wants Townsville City Council chambers to be returned to its former glory