6
VISION 28 — BLACK DIAMOND
Melbourne’s green wedge parkland
on the eastern flank of the CBD has
undergone astonishing rejuvenation
in the past decade. A flurry of
development of enclosed stadia—
most with whizz-bang operable roofs,
has created possibly Australia’s grandest
sports and entertainment precinct.
T
he latest addition sits right next door to the
grand-daddy of them all—the original 1956 Olympic
Swimming Stadium by Peter McIntyre and Kevin Borland.
Unlike its larger and sometimes louder siblings, this
charcoal clad sports and function centre is a model
of such understatement that it’s possible to drive by,
blink, and miss it entirely.
But the news isn’t all about hide and seek with its
faceted façade—much like a black diamond setting in a
green landscape viewed from above. A variety of Viridian
double-glazing makes a distinguished design contribution:
to the east a vast cranked glass wall with views across the
oval towards the sports mecca, to the west a glass surround
invites the mighty swim stadium and south, more tall glass
brings the Yarra River and Botanical Gardens even closer.
PROJECT
The Glasshouse
Melbourne VIC
ARCHITECT
Croxon Ramsay Architects
PRINCIPAL GLAZING
Virdian Thermotech™ &
Viridian VFLoat™
TEXT, IMAGES & FILM
Peter & Jenny Hyatt