A new flavour in modern dining and retail has officially arrived in Perth with the completion of 140, the landmark $20 million food, art and retail precinct in the heart of Perth’s CBD.

Combining modern architecture, heritage buildings, art and space, the five year redevelopment achieves a major milestone today, with the precinct complete and all 21 retailers open for business.

Developed by Cbus Property, 140 marks a first for Perth in moving away from the traditional self-contained shopping centre model, according to Cbus Property CEO, Adrian Pozzo.

“The completion of 140 is the realisation of a bold vision to bring a unique food, beverage and retail precinct to Perth,” he says.

“We analysed what was and wasn’t working in the retail sector and identified an opportunity to create a place for people to not only go to grab a bite to eat or drink, but also to extend that experience by being able to marvel at world class architecture and interact with art in various forms.

“We’ve created an urban destination with a difference that patrons have embraced and keep coming back to visit. To create that sense of place, every single aspect of this project was considered – from the architecture, to using art to activate four laneways, and the selection of tenants,” Pozzo says.

Food was key to the vision of 140 and the eclectic blend of hospitality venues includes the first Western Australian location of meat lovers’ mecca, Ribs & Burgers and German casual dining restaurant, Brotzeit; Perth’s newest bar, The Globe Bar; chocolatier, Koko Black’s biggest Australian salon; and Perth’s latest American diner, East Village.

Designed by Susanne Pini, principal and head of Retail and Mixed Use at architecture firm HDR Rice Daubney, 140 required the preservation of heritage buildings, injection of modern architecture and connection of reimagined laneways.

“It was really important the rejuvenation project focused on activating the four laneways that act as the axis of the retail precinct,” she explains.

“The laneways needed to be features themselves to draw people to the area and make them want to stay.”

To attract customers and draw them to 140, Pini and her team worked alongside Urban Art Projects to create a permanent art package – 140ART. Incorporating works by Matt W Moore, Nike Savvas, Kyle Hughes-Odgers, Benjamin Johnson and Alister Yiap, 140ART reactivates the four laneways with the use of functional sculptures, murals and a suspended ceiling.

“The art complements the heritage building façade and adds to the whole experience. It makes people want to explore the space more, which is what retail is evolving into – creating experiences for people.”

140 is also home to other leading retailers, including Forever New’s flagship store, Cotton On and Swarovski.