MULGRAVE PRIMARY SCHOOL

The new gymnasium at Mulgrave Primary School established a new building on a Greenfield portion of a unique existing school site.  In its context, the building brings a fresh and vibrant addition to its suburban location.

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Functionally, the building allows within the school, the opportunity for the main gymnasium court to do more, incorporating an adjacent performance, teaching and learning stage and enabling the school to utilize the space to form strategic partnerships with local sporting groups, community groups and host larger school community wide activities in a truly indoor and outdoor integrated space.

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A seamless transition between outdoor and indoor space is achieved through clever orientation, to allow a natural transition to the existing outdoor running track at the school, uniquely shaped in the outline of the Australian coastline.  The gymnasium uses this unique campus setting, siting itself off the northeast coast of the map of Australia, in the position of the Great Barrier Reef.  Reference to the coast permeates the building’s façade and interior design itself.  The sandstone blockwork plinth, representing the coastline rock and sand, playfully transitions across the façade in an undulating line typical of the coastline threshold into white blockwork, referencing the crashing waves of the coast, finally transitioning into the sparkling blue and white of the coastline waters as the eye moves from the rough block base to the metallic upper of the façade panels.  Inside the vibrant pops of colour on the portal frame beams and perimeter acoustic panels reference the brilliant colours of the Great Barrier Reef.

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