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Printed Glass Memorial: HMAS Perth (I)
The HMAS Perth (I) Memorial is a tribute to the 357 lives lost when the Australian warship was sunk in 1942 during World War II. Located in East Fremantle, the memorial serves as a lasting symbol of sacrifice, courage, and national remembrance. The project features a unique combination of highly complex, angled structural glazing, combined with digitally printed glass produced using ImagInk ceramic inks.
HMAS Perth (I) was a Leander-class light cruiser originally built for the Royal Navy and transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in 1939. In February 1942, Perth joined the Allied ABDA fleet in the Battle of the Java Sea before withdrawing to Sunda Strait, where it encountered a massive Japanese invasion force. After a fierce battle, Perth sank in the early hours of March 1. Of the 681 crew, 357 perished, while 324 were taken as prisoners of war. Many endured brutal forced labor, with only 218 surviving to return home, cementing HMAS Perth (I) as a symbol of resilience and sacrifice.
Charles and Joan Walsh-Smith, the husband-and-wife team behind Smith Sculptors, were selected to design the HMAS Perth (I) Memorial due to their extensive experience in creating significant public memorials in Australia. Notably, the due designed the HMAS Sydney II Memorial in Geraldton, Western Australia, which has been acclaimed for its profound symbolism and aesthetic impact.
For the HMAS Perth (I) Memorial, their design aimed to blend symbolic and narrative elements to create a space that honours the ship's history while providing educational and reflective opportunities for visitors. This vision led to the incorporation of both battle scenes and depictions of the young sailors who served aboard the ship, making the memorial a deeply personal and emotive tribute.
The angled glass 'ship’s prow' is striking architectural feature of the HMAS Perth (I) Memorial, featuring ceramic glass walls that converge at a sharp angle, resembling the bow of a ship cutting through the sea.
The 'ship’s prow': a defining architectural feature
The 'ship’s prow' is the defining architectural feature of the HMAS Perth (I) Memorial. Designed to evoke the image of the warship emerging from the water, this element consists of two 10-meter-long steel-framed ceramic glass walls that converge at a sharp angle, resembling the bow of a ship cutting through the sea. The structure creates an immersive experience, allowing visitors to step into the space and feel as though they are standing at the front of the ship itself.
The glass walls are printed with historic images of HMAS Perth (I) and its crew, blending battle scenes with portraits of the young sailors who served aboard. This combination of visual storytelling and architectural form reinforces the human element of the memorial, ensuring that visitors not only recognize the ship’s historical significance but also connect emotionally with those who served.
The striking visual design utilisies angular, custom laminated, digitally printed glass panels in a structurally glazed configuration, reaching over 7.5m at the highest point.
Structurally glazing glass at varying angles presents several technical challenges that require precise engineering, material selection, and installation techniques. Glass is inherently strong in compression but weak in tension. When installed at varying angles, especially in non-vertical orientations, different sections of the glass experience varying loads due to gravity, wind, and thermal expansion. Uneven load distribution can lead to stress concentrations that may cause failure if not properly accounted for in the structural design.
For the HMAS Perth (I) Memorial, the 'ship's prow' feature consists of large angled glass panels that converge to create a symbolic structure. The challenges addressed in this project included:
- Ensuring the glass could withstand environmental exposure while maintaining a highly detailed aesthetic
- Precisely aligning and securing each glass panel to form a seamless, unified structure.
- Managing reflections and optical distortions to maintain visual clarity for the printed imagery
- Incorporating appropriate weatherproofing and drainage to protect the integrity of the installation over time.
Working with zero tolerance for error in printing and glazing alignment
"Our vision was to create a spiritual temple in memory of the men lost on HMAS Perth (I)... immersing visitors in a space where they become figuratively and physically part of the memorial."
JOAN-WALSH SMITH
