Exercise 2 : Section

From the site analysis, circulation around the allocated site was studied, particularly on the routes which will connect the 2 main access ways in the area (Coogee Bay Road & Arden Street) directly to the site. The route decided upon was to connect Coogee Bay Road, with its dense activity directly to the site, through Brook Street. This meant that the space between Coogee Bay Road and the site would become a threshold, preparing the pedestrian for the change, from the busy road to a quieter atmosphere, that the site enjoys.
Then came the question,

What would signal the pedestrian?
What would attract the pedestrian to enter the site?

Proposed circulation path connecting Coogee Bay Road to the Oval.

My solution to this was to create a structure which broke the regularity of the walls set up by the buildings on both sides of the street. This irregular structure would then be the signal which attracted the pedestrian.

This was developed further by studying the view of the pedestrian on Brook Street. A circulation path was directed towards the oval, to create a greater sense of connection between the pedestrian and the oval. An uninterrupted visual connection between Brook Street and the Oval would further strengthen the relationship between the two.

From this, spatial arrangements were set out to accommodate the different programs required in the community centre.

A single skin is used to house all the different programs. A certain symbolic meaning may be interpreted by this decision, where the different people of the Coogee community will come together under one roof to participate in activities which foster good relationships and bonds. With that said, different languages were applied in terms of the centre’s structure. Inspiration was derived from Eero Saarinen’s TWA Terminal to create the structure which would support the shell as well as hold up the Administration office and the new viewing platform, above ground level.

The area at street level would be kept empty, this creates a huge hall which could accommodate local projects, such as children’s painting exhibitions, meetings and such.

Timber strips would be applied as a skin to the concrete shell, softening the effect of this giant structure, giving it the same material palette as the trees around it. Rainwater is dealt with by incorporating gutters into selected timber strips at the ends, allowing the rain water to wash down the surface of the shell, then be channeled through the long gutters. This activates the skin of the structure during rain, as though it was a living creature.

The administration office and the viewing platform is clad with glass panels on certain sides and with Polycarbonate panels on some, to allow views of certain directions while still maintaining the privacy between the 2 supported spaces. The effect of this plays out at night, when the spaces are lit from within, creating these suspended lanterns within the shell, and allows the light to wash down the interior surface of the shell, revealing its size.

Below ground, weight becomes the influencing factor, with both sides of the main pathway lined with load bearing walls at an angle, this provides a sense of security, and even a little hint of confinement, which prepares the players before entering the Oval.