Convention Centre

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THE BRIEF

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Create a multipurpose civic facility centred around a 750-seat venue, cultural activities, administrative offices and a major public plaza.

The building needed to support both formal events and everyday civic life.

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THE PLANNING TEST

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A demanding internal and external program had to fit within a relatively constrained site and limited budget.

Major rooms required direct ground-level access, while the venue also needed independent circulation and substantial egress capacity.

The existing 1974 building was no longer suited to the required contemporary uses.

 

THE MOVE

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Instead of allowing the building to dominate the site, the architectural mass was pulled back so the public plaza could become the primary civic gesture.

The theatre form organises services, separate entries and circulation, while the lower level extends towards the plaza so indoor and outdoor activities can operate simultaneously.

Hardscape, softscape and building edges were designed as one public realm rather than separate architectural and landscape packages.

 

THE OUTCOME

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A civic anchor where the building supports the public space rather than competing with it — creating a flexible setting for cultural, administrative and community activity.

 

PLUS STUDIO VALUE

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Large public programs are often solved by adding more building.

Here, the planning strategy began by deciding what should remain open.

That decision allowed the public realm to carry much of the civic identity while the building concentrated on the spaces that genuinely needed enclosure.

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