The site of this centre is in the dense historic birthplace of Sydney, the Rocks, a heritage precinct characterised by a concentration of finely grained eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings and narrow streetscapes.
Lippmann Partnership were commissioned by the City of Sydney to prepare designs for a new centre and argued that the proposed contemporary design was complimentary to the precinct because views from the Cahill Expressway to Circular Quay were preserved and the scale of the building was appropriate to the streetscape.
While the proposed design initially created controversy with the consent authority - Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority it was finally approved and has since become one of the City of Sydney’s most highly patronised public facilities, continuously booked out throughout the year by community residents and city office workers alike.
The curved cross section of the building maintains views to Circular Quay and provides low impact to the street. Rising up to the required height to comply with sports code requirements, the scale of the building over the bleachers is intentionally at human scale.
The curved 35 metre span steel roof trusses express the building’s skin and bones internally. The eastern facade is completely transparent allowing views through the building during the day and night and exposing the community mural painted onto the east wall of the Harbour Bridge expressway wall.
Natural ventilation is induced by the introduction of low level louvers in the east facade with high level louvers below the roof gutters at the top of the truss. Natural light enters the sports court via the translucent roof sheeting above the sports hall.