Kildare College, Kildare College Multi-Purpose Centre

With a mix of music, dance and sport facilities, the delivery of the Kildare College multi-purpose centre sets a new standard for secondary school performing arts in Adelaide.  The $4.5 million development features a netball court-come-assembly area, dance studio complete with stage, plus music theory and practice rooms, car park and landscaping.  The new centre also makes room for the transformation of existing learning spaces into purpose-built STEM subject classrooms, and a drama facility.  Both functional and visually appealing, this project represents a new and exciting phase in the historic college’s development.

The key remit from the client on this project, was to create an impressive and modern visual statement. This was the first major project for the college in many years and a cornerstone of their vision for future growth.  Custom, never-done-before design elements were required to meet the brief. To manage the challenging forms and apply different finishes on different planes, Sarah selected a highly skilled subcontractor and undertook thorough drafting and design meetings, maintaining close collaboration with the subcontractor and architect to achieve the design intent.

The new multi-purpose centre is constructed from precast concrete and aluminium fins.  Coloured and shot blasted, with different patterns and sections, the unique façade draws attention.  Featuring specific acoustic properties internally, the centre not only looks fantastic but performs to a top quality professional standard.  For Kildare College, this flagship project represents a progressive assimilation of traditional education values with contemporary teaching methods.