KINGBOROUGH COMMUNITY HUB
2015-2019
‘The hub utilizes the core of the 1971 high school gymnasium—a fortified, over-engineered structure of concrete and steel’
The Kingborough Community Hub is the catalyst and centre of a suburban renewal project south of Hobart. In 2016, March Studio won the bid to redevelop 11.3 hectares of the former Kingston High School, a project intended to address the regional housing crisis. The scheme creates a "future town square" at the heart of Kingston Park, forming a vibrant civic core for a suburb that is still evolving.
The hub utilizes the core of the 1971 high school gymnasium—a fortified, over-engineered structure of concrete and steel. While the original building was often seen as charmless, March Studio’s scheme was the only proposal to retain its foundations and vast concrete slab in homage to the past. This robust grid of 18 columns now forms the organizing principle for a new set of community spaces and the foundation for the new structure.
The architectural centerpiece is an expansive floating roof: a deep timber-clad truss set as a subtle skillion. This 40-metre × 40-metre parasol serves as a billboard for the community hub, sitting comfortably alongside the scale of nearby big-box retail. By inverting the original enclosed gym arrangement, the design responds to local climatic conditions and opens the site to incredible mountain views.
Gathered under the roof is a large, flexible space that extends northwest through a giant 20-metre-wide tilt-panel door, creating a semi-enclosed town square. The community response has been remarkable, with the space hosting farmers' markets, car shows, and rock concerts. This framework empowers the region’s many clubs and societies to adapt the space for their own purposes in one central location.
Adjacent ancillary spaces—including co-working rooms, a cafe, and a bike store—are designed as modular "plug-ins" that can be added to as community needs evolve. This tough, utilitarian architecture of concrete block, galvanised steel, and rough plywood is assembled through careful detailing and thoughtful landscaping. The result is a weave of program and architecture that spotlights adaptive re-use, delivering a robust piece of flexible civic infrastructure for the people of Kingston.
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COMMUNITY HUB
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COMPLETE
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MOUHENEENER | KINGSTON
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BUILDER | HUTCHIES
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | ALDANMARK
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2021 National Commendation | Australian Institute of Architects National Awards | (Small Project)
2021 Winner | Australian Institute of Architects VIC Awards | (Small Project)
2020 Winner | The Alan C Walker Award for Public Architecture | Australian Institute of Architects | TAS Awards
2020 Winner | Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture | Australian Institute of Architects | TAS Awards
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