Pyrmont Community Centre
In 2020, The City of Sydney proposed upgrades to the existing Pyrmont Community Centre (PCC), including a reconfigured accessible foyer and entry, lift access from street to both ground and first floor levels, the expansion of the existing gym facility, new community rooms and upgraded amenities.
The centre occupies the locally listed Former Pyrmont Public School designed by William Edmund Kemp in the 1880’s, which over time has undergone multiple alterations, including significant alterations in 1908, 1915 and a new addition in 1992 designed by Jones Brewster Regan (JBR). The proposed upgades saw extensive renovations to most of the interiors of the Kemp buildings, the removal of key sections og the JBR building, upgraded outdoor play spaces and a new masonry glass and steel form inserted in and around the retained built fabric.
The exisitng centre hosted over fifty community programs, including long daycare and after school care. With Pyrmont’s population expected to increase by 41% over the next 16 years, the need to increase the size of the centre was as imperative to meet the anticipated future demand.
The original building represented the hopes and aspirations of society at that time. We wanted to imbue this sentiment in our approach to the new building for our society today. In doing so, issues of accessibility, resilience and sustainability – and the need to provide amenity and refuge for the community were key drivers in developing the design.
We saw the PCC as a much-loved facility that required some curated attention. The objects, forms and spaces that existed in the Centre have varying uses and values. The original Building established the structure of the composition; however, we saw an opportunity to curate a new arrangement that respects those objects, forms and spaces of merit, whilst changing, removing and adding other spaces to create, and curate, a beautiful, inspired space for the Pyrmont Community.
Conceptually We approached the project with 4 key design aspirations: Composition, Sustainability, Functionality and Chance. These 4 cornerstones acted as reference points in developing our overall design and delivery response.
Connectivity was paramount, and a key design driver was the idea of a unifying canopy to link all the spaces internally and identify a new interface/ front door between the public and ‘private’. That new canopy/colonnade was introduced between the old and new built form, extending it out to the street to identify the new entry. The new façade – a bold, yet quiet facafe of green concrete was tilted, folded and cut, then tempered with a series of of form, bush- hammered and stepped facings and a grand triangular symbolic street window that offered visual links into the new interiors whilst respecting the privacy of the neighbours opposite.
The Pyrmont Community Centre has operated as a continuum on the site since 1993 – we see this project as a part of a holistic continuum –for the site itself, for Pyrmont and the City.
