Traditional Land Owners: Darug tribe of the Darug nation

“Designing a sports facility in a public park presents a few conundrums; how can a building be robust and hard-wearing but at the same time warm, welcoming and inclusive? How can it express its ‘publicness’ and offer something to the community when the majority of the time it will be shut?

Key functional elements were split between two adjacent pavilions sit side by side on a heavy stepping base. The project is experienced ‘in the round’ so we sought a sculptural quality. The relationship between pavilions is one of counterpoint; roof forms acting as playful markers of internal activity.

Brick unifies the project, each pavilion space finding its poetic point of difference in response to need; ventilation, illumination, animation and scale. Poetic subtleties play an important role; the rough-cut bricks adding warmth and texture whilst playing poetically with the missing bricks where ventilation is required.”