The community centre will be a congregation of four separate structures gathered behind a perforated wall running along the length of the property on Brook St
The playground and the trees around the site will be preserved. I am also interested in the small spaces between the buildings that are currently there: the space between the grandstand and the entry building has pleasing dimensions and an aspect looking out over the oval towards the sea. I am interested in making the spaces between the buildings as articulate as the structures themselves; they will direct the viewer’s gaze out towards the sea, and encompass a small expanse of the sky. Hopefully this will draw the viewer’s attention to the unique quality of the light and communicate a sense of unlimited space.
The idea behind making the centre a group of four separate structures was inspired by Alvaro Siza’s design for the Faculty of Architecture in Porto. In that project, each building has a distinct ‘personality’ or character, reinforced by the placement of openings on the facades, which lends a playful, anthropomorphic quality to the structures. Whilst I am not interested in pursuing an anthropomorphic strategy in my design, I am interested in the idea of each building having a distinct character; each building will have an identity and purpose that is unique, but its identity will be constituted equally on the basis of it forming part of a collective. This is the driving concept behind the design; this is also the idea of community that I am trying to communicate with this design.
The perforated wall will be the façade that is presented to the street; there will be no defined, specific entry. The wall will provide a sense of enclosure, at the same time as it encourages a sense of permissiveness. From within, the wall will restrict certain views of the neighbouring buildings, to create a distinct sense of separation from urban traffic and visual congestion.
The main gathering space will be located just inside of the wall, and will provide a broad and generous space for slower paced interactions and informal gatherings. The spaces between the buildings will provide impromptu opportunities for gathering or watching sport on the oval.
The buildings will be constructed of robust materials that will age in those specific weather conditions without the need for dramatic intervention. Materials such as brick and rendered concrete would be appropriate, both in terms of their sensibility to the weather conditions of the site, and their prominent usage around Coogee.
Hopefully the simple clarity of the program and the creation of composed spaces that articulate the natural qualities of the site will contribute to the creation of a centre that would facilitate activity and self-development, and encourage patrons to engage with others as part of a community.
