Looks like Thunderbird 1 is about to launch. The pool moves aside… smoke rises…

As with all architecture, you start with understanding the site constraints. Opposite this site is a string of single level homes. Why they are there, with CZ1 Town Core zoned land across the street you’ll have to ask ACTPLA and the LDA. But there they are, so that was a key design consideration. So is the fact that those houses are to the south, and the north side faces the small lake along the back of the college.

So the roof skillions down to the south to minimise visually overpowering the houses and up to the north to maximise passive solar heating in winter. Single spans will negate the internal flooding risk that plagues so many commercial buildings with box guttering.

Apart from that, the inside is a very large rectangle. There are limits. Look like a shed. Look like an aircraft hanger (read: CISAC). Get adventurous but expensive like the examples from Keijidosha. Or use a more conventional approach and put the dollars into the actual facilities.

Remember the promise last election was for $20 million. When that wouldn’t cover the costs they tried to back it down to having two 25 metre pools but GCC and the community made it clear a promise was a promise. So an extra $8.7m has been funded to build a 50m and a 25m plus kids waterplay area.

It’s great that the community was able to win through and keep the ALP to their election promise. This will be a facility of which Gungahlin will be proud, and it will serve us throughout growth that will see us double in population. We only had one very tight block to do this on, so it had to be right first time.

Congratulations to the ACT Government for delivering this critical infrastructure. No doubt we’ll see you at a sod turning ceremony mere weeks before the election. 🙂

Keijidosha said :

On a side note I find it amusing that the Government spends millions on public art that is often placed in front of ugly buildings, when we could invest that money in hiring architects who design buildings that are functional works of art.

Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder

“Both the 25 metre and 50 metre pools will have graduated ramps for access by people with disabilities and older people.”

This is nothing but divisive pandering that at face value appears to be helping a minority, but in actuality does nothing but highlight our differences and cause further rifts between the able bodied and disabled communities.*

*Please refer to previous threads on dividing partitions that cater for women before lambasting me for being anti-disabled person.

Who cares what it looks like when you’re in the pool doing laps? The Civic Pool bubble looks crappy but I quite like swimming there.

fabforty said :

But where are the bright orange panels that seem to be mandatory for all current Gungahlin structures ?

There is no way they are going to go out of style….whoops, they just have..The colours of the Crace urban ‘precinct’ are going to be cutting edge for about 5 minutes..

But where are the bright orange panels that seem to be mandatory for all current Gungahlin structures ?

Keijidosha said :

Holden Caulfield said :

Would you prefer a 1990s faux federation eyesore instead?

It doesn’t need to be one or the other. Why can’t we have more progressive, inspired architecture rather than another angular arrangement of coloured panels? Have a look at the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre in Sydney, or the proposed aquatic centre in Annemasse, France if you want examples of what I mean.

On a side note I find it amusing that the Government spends millions on public art that is often placed in front of ugly buildings, when we could invest that money in hiring architects who design buildings that are functional works of art.

Architecture is not functional art. As an architecture graduate I find it hard to judge a single perspective render of a building in sketch phase. Though I don’t personally care – to me the structural elements seem to dominate the facade, rather than the panels you hate which will likely change before its built. On Thorpies aquatic centre- the ‘wave’ ceiling is an internal feature, so who knows maybe you’ll get a similarly, incredibly literal treatment here.

And let’s hope that it isn’t privatised or run like CISAC and that concessions apply and the disabled are admitted free.

Keijidosha said :

It doesn’t need to be one or the other. Why can’t we have more progressive, inspired architecture rather than another angular arrangement of coloured panels? Have a look at the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre in Sydney, or the proposed aquatic centre in Annemasse, France if you want examples of what I mean.

I’d rather they just built a pool, thanks.

Holden Caulfield said :

Would you prefer a 1990s faux federation eyesore instead?

It doesn’t need to be one or the other. Why can’t we have more progressive, inspired architecture rather than another angular arrangement of coloured panels? Have a look at the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre in Sydney, or the proposed aquatic centre in Annemasse, France if you want examples of what I mean.

On a side note I find it amusing that the Government spends millions on public art that is often placed in front of ugly buildings, when we could invest that money in hiring architects who design buildings that are functional works of art.

Keijidosha said :

…It looks like a 1950’s car wash.

Awesome!

Would you prefer a 1990s faux federation eyesore instead?

Note the man in the chinos and brown belt and shoes. If that doesn’t spell casual sporty elegance, I really don’t know what does.

It looks very nice. But are there that many mature trees in the whole of Gungahlin?

A great result for Gunghalin residents, although I’m not so sure about the aesthetic appeal of the building. It looks like a 1950’s car wash.

Again, big thanks to the GCC for championing this one.