Location Avondale Heights VIC
Project Completion 2010
Project Size 1,700m2
Project Description Avondale Heights Library and Learning Centre occupies a prominent corner site of 12,900 square metres, bordered by Military Road and Clarendon Street in Melbourne’s outer west.
The project involved the repair and refurbishment of an existing former gymnasium, centrally located on the site, including complete re-cladding of the exterior to create a uniform visual relationship with the new community centre. The new building houses office space and meeting rooms, flexible learning spaces (including computer terminals for public use) and a community library.
We seized the opportunity to combine the new and old facilities into a significant, adventurous and eye-catching building – a centre that is easily identified, reinforces a commitment to the community, reflects local cultural aspirations and of which local residents can be proud. The design was inspired by the bold colourings and exaggerated patterning of Melbourne artist Howard Arkley, famous for his psychedelic depiction of Australian suburbia.
The buildings and the spaces within have been designed with future flexibility in mind, creating possibilities for futurechanges of use. As a result, the centre can cater for groups from as small as 3 or 4 in the smaller meeting rooms, upto seminars or training sessions with 50 – 100 people. Provision of flexible, robust spaces has proven instrumental in ensuring the facility can cater for the complex and diverse social, leisure, information and learning needs of local residents and will allow it to adapt and evolve over the long term.
