Collins and Turner

Waterloo Youth Center

Waterloo Youth Center
© Paul Bradshaw

Waterloo Youth Center

Collins and Turner

AREA
252 M²

YEAR
2013

MANUFACTURERS
Adbri, Halliday+baillie, Lotus, Nash Timbers, Ronstan, Dormakaba, Astra Walker, Caroma, Caruana

PHOTOGRAPHS
Rchard Glover, Paul Bradshaw, Josef Nalevansky

LOCATION
Sydney, Australia

CATEGORY
Cultural Architecture, Youth Center

Text description provided by architect.

Commissioned by City of Sydney, the revitalised building is a dynamic new piece of community architecture.

Waterloo Youth Center
© Richard Glover
Waterloo Youth Center
© Richard Glover

The building has been transformed into a welcoming counseling facility and communal workspace for Weave.

The refurbished building has additionally become an extension of its landscape setting, combining architecture and horticulture in a unique way to create a new sculptural form that enlivens the southern area of the Waterloo Oval site.

Waterloo Youth Center
© Richard Glover
Waterloo Youth Center
© Richard Glover
Waterloo Youth Center
© Paul Bradshaw

Where possible, elements of the existing amenities block structure have been retained and re-used in the new plan, now focussed around a new central courtyard and crowned by a planted roof structure.

The landscaped roof garden is veiled by a dramatic steel canopy structure that has been designed to support a variety of native climbing and fruiting plants.

The canopy is star shaped in plan - the points of the star mark the entry and newly constructed bay window areas in the four corners of the building.

Waterloo Youth Center
© Paul Bradshaw
Waterloo Youth Center
© Richard Glover
Waterloo Youth Center
© Paul Bradshaw

The building is also partially submerged in its setting, as a result of subtle adjustments in the adjacent landscape levels, reducing its apparent size.

As the plants mature and grow across the canopy, the building will gradually merge with its park setting, becoming an abstract and sculptural green land-form that punctuates the park boundary and visually merges with the adjacent tree canopies.

Waterloo Youth Center
© Paul Bradshaw
Waterloo Youth Center
© Richard Glover

The building design takes inspiration from a number of diverse sources. amongst them, the grass covered iron-age forts of Celtic Wales; the aviary at London Zoo designed by Cedric Price; and the work of John Krubsack an american naturalist who experimented with growing and grafting plants into shapes, creating the first chair that was grown rather than made.

The buildings unusual angular form evokes both the folded planes of Origami, and the triangulated surfaces of invisible stealth planes and boats.

Waterloo Youth Center
© Paul Bradshaw
Waterloo Youth Center
© Richard Glover

The interior is arranged in a pin-wheel plan around the central courtyard, and includes a largely open and flexible plan with workspaces for 14 staff.

A reception area, two counselling rooms, a chill out room, managers office, kitchenette, and a small facility for a visiting general practitioner complete the program.

Waterloo Youth Center
© Josef Nalevansky
Waterloo Youth Center
© Richard Glover

Integrated joinery elements and staff amenities subdivide the space and functions.


Waterloo Youth Center
© Richard Glover
Waterloo Youth Center
© Richard Glover
Waterloo Youth Center
© Richard Glover
Waterloo Youth Center
© Richard Glover


Waterloo Youth Center
Site Plan
Waterloo Youth Center
Floor Plan
Waterloo Youth Center
Roof Floor Plan
Waterloo Youth Center
Ground Floor Plan


Waterloo Youth Center
north-south Section
Waterloo Youth Center
east-west Section


Waterloo Youth Center
Isometric
Waterloo Youth Center
Exploded Isometric

Collins and Turner
T +61 2 93563217
Collins and Turner
11/17 Buckingham St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia