Stage 1 Adelaide Convention Centre transformation under construction

Stage 1 Adelaide Convention Centre transformation under construction

Mar 25, 2014  | Civil engineering 

Stage 1 Adelaide Convention Centre transformation under construction
(Photo by: Woods Bagot)

Woods Bagot’s Adelaide studio is currently delivering the transformation of the AUD 210 million Stage 1 Adelaide Convention Centre Redevelopment from rail yard to landmark building.

Installation of a galvanised steel rain-screen has allowed the first fix of the interior walls at the lower levels of the building, providing the public an impression of the dramatic form of the finished building.

The eye-catching rain-screen has been installed as a custom-folded profile to provide a modular support for the stepped facade cladding.

The facade is inspired by the folded, fractured and weathered landscape of the South Australian outback. Completion of the final cladding is due by August 2014, however, the lowest levels of the six storey extension are already being occupied by the client, who is maintaining full operational capacity for the duration of the project.

When complete, the Adelaide Convention Centre will be one of the world’s most innovative convention centres, with Stage 1 providing an additional 4200m² of exhibition space that features a fully adjustable ceiling and fully mobile, fully reconfigurable, raked seating to cater for up to 3000 patrons.

The Stage 1 addition provides 14 new meeting rooms including a Grand Ballroom with panoramic views across Adelaide’s parklands and riverbank precinct. The extension is designed to operate as a stand-alone convention centre and also to work in conjunction with the existing and Stage 2 buildings to form a single, large venue.

A major challenge for the Stage 1 team was to construct a rigid, long-span multipurpose exhibition space 1.5 metres above Adelaide’s main railway station whilst maintaining functionality of the rail network. The construction phase of the redevelopment has also been coordinated with the electrification of the metropolitan rail network. Adding to the complexity was a requirement to host and conceal a bank of cooling towers serving the immediate commercial precinct in the roof space above the exhibition halls.

The site was serviced by two tower cranes until February this year. The first crane and 76 metre boom was removed following the completion of the roof in the north of the site. It is expected that the remaining tower crane and 86 metre boom will be dismantled in early April marking a significant milestone for the project. The next major milestone will be the handover of functional meeting rooms later this year.

The AUD 350 million Adelaide Convention Centre Redevelopment is part of an AUD 3 billion investment in the Adelaide CBD north west fringe with other projects including SAHMRI, a new hospital, sports stadium and biomedical health precinct.

Global studio collaboration
During the project journey a number of studios have been involved: Adelaide, London (interiors), New York, San Francisco with specialist modelling during development phase.

Via Woods Bagot
Image,video ©: Woods Bagot