Creating a spectacle

In the past, convention centres were often designed to provide the requisite venue for conferences, meetings and exhibitions, but with little thought for their external appearance or the effect on their immediate neighbourhood.

When the Plenary Group consortium's architectural team, comprising NHArchitecture and Woods Bagot, began work on the design of the Melbourne Convention Centre, they felt it was important to design a structure that would fulfil its functional requirements, and be a major public building that integrated successfully with its local surroundings the city and the Docklands.

Now completed, the convention centre, developed by a public-private partnership between the Victorian State Government and Plenary Group, has helped to inject new life into the Docklands. Close by are the new Hilton Melbourne South Wharf hotel, an office tower, a large shopping precinct and public spaces.

The new convention centre is designed in a fan shape, with a long, curved glass facade overlooking the river. This means that not only is the foyer light and bright, but its interior is visible from across the river.

This convention centre is also the first in the world to be awarded a 6-Star Green Star environmental rating.

Says Kelvyn Lavelle of Plenary Group, "We strongly believed that the 6-Star Green Star rating would differentiate the new centre in the international market."

Winning this rating has been a huge task, covering areas ranging from site excavation to specification of building materials from both renewable and sustainable sources, and fittings and finishes.

An example of this is the three-dimensional mosaic of angled wall panels that covers the full length of the rear wall of the foyer. All the wood veneer for the 8400m² of panelling was harvested sustainably from 56 Australian spotted gum trees.

Systems within the building that contribute to the 6-Star Green Star rating include recycling of grey and black water for non-potable use on site, solar panels to provide the hot water requirements for all public amenities, and natural light and energy-saving controls on installed lighting.

Another innovative feature of the convention centre is in the design of the 5000-seat Plenary Hall, which can be reconfigured to suit a range of events. The seats can be configured as a flat floor venue, automatically raised to form tiered seating, or folded away, leaving a clear floor space suitable for a banquet, exhibition space or ballroom. The hall can also be subdivided into three separate theatres, each with different seating and its own stage. A monorail system moves the room dividers.

Plenary Group is an independent public-private partnership business, taking on the roles of investor, developer and operator of public infrastructure projects.

"We are committed to a holistic approach, linking our success to the success of the projects we are involved with. With our specialist PPP expertise, we have provided the Victorian Government and the broader community with a new convention centre that we can all take great pride in," says Lavelle.

Story by: Trendsideas