Multipurpose Hall near Sydney by Sam Crawford Architects

Matraville is a suburb in the south-east of Sydney with 10,000 inhabitants. To the east, several golf courses separate the neighbourhood from the Pacific Ocean, while to the west, the port facilities at Botany Bay adjoin the residential areas. The community's multipurpose hall is located on a corner plot surrounded by detached houses, and its size is also in keeping with its surroundings. A dilapidated 1950s building previously stood on the same site and served as a social meeting place for local residents. 

Floor plan, graphic © Sam Crawford Architects 

The local population primarily wanted the new building to be used for sports, ranging from yoga classes and gymnastics groups to indoor football. Measuring 12 x 18.5 m on each side, the hall does not meet the official dimensions for Olympic sports, but it is certainly sufficient for recreational sports. The roof of the central room is supported by a structure made of eucalyptus glulam beams and is surrounded on three sides by a wide veranda. Below this are the toilets, storage rooms and a kitchen, grouped together in two single-storey side wings.  

The interior holds a surprise: the central hall is fully lined with wood. © Brett Boardman 

The multi-purpose hall's asymmetrical floor plan is due to the presence of 18 mature trees on the site. Through careful planning, the architects managed to preserve 16 of these trees. The building's staggered height and the variety of materials used inside and out also help it to blend into its suburban surroundings. While the hall is clad in wood on all sides, the adjoining wing's walls are made of beige and blue bricks (the colours of the nearby Pacific coast). 

The facade is almost completely open to the south. The upper part of the hall is illuminated by polycarbonate multi-wall sheets. © Brett Boardman

For the roof surfaces extending beyond the canopy, the architects chose two materials: traditional corrugated aluminium for the opaque areas, and 10 mm-thick polycarbonate multi-wall sheets for the translucent areas. A striking roof lantern made of impact-resistant plastic illuminates the entrance area, lighting up both the exterior and interior. In the large hall, the entire south facade (which in Australia, as is commonly known, faces away from the sun) is clad in polycarbonate. High-level louvre windows facilitate the hall's natural ventilation. In summer, ceiling fans provide additional cooling. The new building is equipped with a heat pump, a photovoltaic system and underfloor heating for winter.