Building history
Land reclamation, bold architecture and innovative construction methods have made the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre an iconic building with high public exposure
The firm of Peter Hunt Architect was commissioned as the principle consultant for the building, and led by project architect James Turnbull. The team designed the facility to meet the requirements of the Queensland State Government and to fulfil the aspirations of the developer.
Turnbull says the government brief was pragmatic regarding function, stating the full range of facilities the centre should accommodate. Substantial design freedom was encouraged with respect to aesthetics and the ambience.
"The brief required the building to be of an iconic nature. The Jupiters Limited development team fosters exceptional results, and so, we were encouraged to design a building that was remarkable and marketable. The design team truly enjoyed delivering a project of such high quality within the target budget."
There were two main factors taken into consideration in the design.
"It is important to understand the building as public infrastructure, complementing the existing and developing precinct of Broadbeach," the architect says. "The building is well set back in the landscape but is highly exposed to the public eye. We ensured that when viewed from a passing car on the highway, one's experience of the building is dynamic and exciting, while encountered on foot, the gradients are gentle and the perception of scale appropriate."
Secondly, the multi-functional nature of the centre had a huge effect on how the building would be proportioned to accommodate the enormous interior volumes required. Turnbull says the gently curving roof forms reduce the perceived exterior scale of the building.
"We carefully positioned the low eaves and transparent curtain wall glazing to reconcile the enormous volume of the building with the pedestrian scaled environment in which it is sited."
Significant design challenges included the design of the steel framework. Accurate fabrication and erection of cold rolled metal products provided the armature on which the sweeping external skin was wrapped, says Turnbull.
The centre also embraces many energy efficiency design principles, including the sprung curved roof deck which has 4m-wide eaves to protect the 9m-high glazing from solar penetration.
Contact Peter Hunt Architect, level 1/4 Miami Key, Broadbeach, Qld 4218, phone (07) 5554 5911, fax (07) 5554 5966, email: pha@gc.phunt.com.au.
Story by: Trendsideas
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