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Community Wins in Consultation Phase of Recreational Development

After an extensive master planning phase undertaken by Cox, the ACT Government has recently announced details of a new pool and leisure centre to be included in the recreational facilities at Stromlo Forest Park.

In 2016 and 2017, the Government asked the public to share their thoughts on what facilities the new pool should include. Designed by Cox Architecture, the leisure centre will now include a gym and parklands, due to the overwhelming popularity of those additional facilities with the community.

This is a prime example of the importance of community consultation in the development of public infrastructure. It’s always an honour to work on projects of such overt public benefit; in this instance it’s coupled with our particular passion and specialisation for sporting architecture.

The facility siting takes full advantage of the expansive views across the Molonglo valley, with the key functions including café, pool hall and gym enjoying the benefits. The building arrangement cleverly breaks the scale of the building down to pool hall and ancillary facilities, and is recessed into the hill to further reduce its apparent scale by nestling into the natural setting with a subdued colour palette.

The concept unifies the exterior landscape with interior treatment to blur the boundary between without and within. The innovative use of glulam timber structure also provides a warm and welcoming character to the interior.

The government’s commitment to the construction of the Leisure Centre at Stromlo Forest Park will further establish the Park as a preeminent recreation facility in the city. The new centre will provide much needed amenity to the Weston Creek and Molonglo communities by way of public café, aquatic, gym and other leisure facilities, and we look forward to beginning works on this project for completion in early 2020.