St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School Sports Performance Centre | Blight Rayner Architecture

St Aidan’s Sports Performance Centre is a low-cost interpretation of the sports hall typology conceived to appear like a ‘garden shed’ within parklands. A longitudinal arbour flanks its northern edge to act as a spine to future sports and aquatic facilities, as well as a shaded pergola for pre-sports gatherings. The tilt-up doors enable the hall to open out to the arbour. Full-length glass louvres at the southern side facilitate natural ventilation. These long transparencies on each side enable the roof to act like a parasol, supported on a hybrid portal timber structure. The architectural aesthetic is conveyed by layering the façade in differently profiled Colorbond sheeting, anchored at each end by lower scale concrete block ‘sheds’ housing a flexible learning centre and sports storage. While the architecture is one of restraint, the surfaces inside and out are elegantly detailed to enhance the experience of place throughout and encourage participation.