QUEENSLAND SHORTLIST
Public Architecture
Category
Introducing the Shortlist for Public Architecture
The following projects have been shortlisted for the 2022 Queensland Architectural Awards, in the Public Architecture Category. This page will continue to list shortlisted project until the last of the 2022 Queensland Regional Events have concluded in Townsville on the 10th of June 2022. The result of the 2022 Queensland Architecture awards will be revealed via livestream, which will be shown at the presentation event on the 24th of June 2022 at the State Library of Queensland, and also available via Youtube.
Paroo Civic & Community Enterprise Centre
Nestled on the Warrego River in Outback Queensland, Cunnamulla acts as the heart of the region, and now has a brand-new hub to not only facilitate its community but empower them with access to new opportunities. The Paroo Civic & Community Enterprise Centre replaces the existing council building and adds extra amenity with flexible facilities.
The revitalisation of this key building in the greater precinct breathes new life into the community. Awnings draw shade to the area, with the neighbouring landmark “Princess Anne Tree” highlighted and celebrated.
The form and materials of the building act as a stimulus to embrace the community, with the feature clocktower creating a new landmark for the town. The building reflects the cultural heritage of the Indigenous community as well as Cunnamulla’s art deco architecture. With a civic face and community heart, the building’s architecture has its DNA in Australian rural architecture.
By Elia Architecture
Photography by Doug Fairclough
Citation:
Paroo Civic and Community Enterprise Centre is a community focused centre for the remote farming town of Cunnamulla. The centre draws links to the original council building through the positioning of the new clock tower, protection of an historically significant tree, and repurposing of original signage. The programme is organised around the notion of a public street, with volume and natural light creating an internal oasis from the often-unforgiving external climate. Low maintenance materials have been used in a poetic way, with a colour scheme developed from the architect’s en plein air studies of the local vegetation. The town has been taken on a journey, from the sadness of losing the original centre, to a celebration that was apparent throughout the building stage and has resulted in an architecture that is for the region.
HOTA GALLERY
HOTA Gallery is third built element of ARM Architecture’s masterplan for the precinct, which transforms a Gold Coast administrative site into a mammoth cultural and landscape precinct along the Nerang River in Surfers Paradise.
At 9,100 m², it’s one of Australia’s largest regional galleries. It opened in May 2021 and houses the City’s permanent collection of contemporary art and cultural artifacts, and hosts international touring collections.
Like the neighbouring HOTA Outdoor Stage, the pedestrian bridge to Chevron Island and the surrounding landscape, the Gallery uses Voronoi geometry. A cellular web was laid over the entire HOTA masterplan as a technique for staging projects, to bring unity, and to give a distinct visual character to the site.
By ARM Architecture
Photography by John Gollings
Citation:
The gallery is the third completed element of the current HOTA masterplan. The vertical form provides a strong marker accentuated by the colours & Veronoi geometry of the façade. The variety of gallery spaces work well & the window to the art storage space regularly draws a crowd. Transporting large scale artworks throughout the building has been carefully planned. Take the lift to the rooftop café for some of the best views of the Gold Coast & walk down via the delightful stair.
New Farm Neighbourhood Centre
New Farm Neighbourhood Centre is a renovation of an existing neighbourhood centre. NFNC supports a diverse range of people from the local community and demonstrates a cost-effective solution to creating more useable space on a complex and constrained site. The design of the building encourages occupation of the street and promotes a connection to the outdoors.
By Vokes and Peters with Zuzana and Nicholas
Photography by Christopher Frederick Jones
Citation:
In this project the architects have clearly developed a finely tuned understanding of user needs and orchestrated these skilfully into welcoming community setting. A multiuse spine organises intensely programmed spaces. The building extends a strong welcoming gesture to the street with north facing terrace and café. Through attention to the detailed integration of new work around an elevated existing timber house, and the incorporation of a street seat creating a public gesture ,the architects have achieved a successful and thoughtful reading of both ‘home’ and ‘community’. The jury acknowledges the achievement of a place that support community and diversity with modest means.
MUTTABURRASAURUS INTERPRETATION CENTRE
This project’s ideas are generated from the Prehistoric and the community of Muttaburra’s existing focus on its paleontological past – specifically the chance discovery that uncovered the Muttaburrasaurus Langdoni approximately 60 years ago.
The primary driver for the design was to integrate the building as a direct extension of the landscape in lieu of a structure sitting atop the landscape. Local gidgee stone berms conceal the gabion framework and interior creating a sense of intrigue and discovery. The gabions act as retaining walls for the rock berm creating the ovate plan form with a clear spanning steel framed / sheeted roof structure over the interior.
The structure deliberately obscures the life size replica from the entry path and only affords a full view once traversing its threshold into the core creating a greater sense of scale and intrigue for the visitor with the interior’s pared back materiality & rawness reflecting the prehistoric epoch.
By Brian Hooper Architect
Photography by Lisa Alexander
Citation:
The Muttaburrasaurus Interpretation Centre, designed by Brian Hooper Architect, is incredibly successful as a structure that connects a prehistoric past and the desert landscape to a rural town setting and adds a layer of community pride as an important piece in the Queensland Dinosaur Trail and Paleo Tourism. Its power is in the harmony it has achieved with its unique surroundings, the use of local materials, robust design and how the architect has used history and landscape as tools for abstraction. The Muttaburrasaurus Interpretation Centre is a sensitive architectural expression of landscape and built form celebrating the most complete fossilised dinosaur skeleton found in Australia. The Centre is a wonderful example of biophilic design, connecting visitors closely with its setting. Its built form is simple but impressive, inspired by desert landscape forms around Muttaburra. Gabion walls of local stone create the oval walls of the main structure and entrance path with loose rock mounded around the exterior façade. The lightweight, floating custom orb roof form with a triangular truss along its spine connects to its adjacent built environment. Materials and detailing minimise ongoing maintenance for an unattended, self-guided facility and the space is naturally ventilated with lighting supplemented with daylight. The building is oriented to provide enhance the experience of approach to the interior and its ‘Mutta’ replica at its heart. The dinosaur is positioned to be ‘entering’ the structure from the eastern side through a circular opening with views beyond to the expansive sky and landscape, providing a natural backdrop to the main display and dramatic sunlight. This layout with the carefully place openings creates an incredible connection to the setting for the visitor, especially at sunset.
