Description

An opportunity to create an improved public space for the Community and a new typology for Community buildings.

Narbethong, in the Upper Yarra Valley, was one of the communities that was affected by the Black Friday fires. The rebuilding of the Narbethong Community Hall which was destroyed in these fires presented an opportunity to create an improved public space for the Community and a new typology for Community buildings.

The previous hall was a basic timber structure built more than 50 years ago, it lacked adequate heating and facilities were limited and outmoded. It was sited with its entry fronting to the busy Maroondah Highway and was not designed to capture the beautiful landscape aspects of the site.

The new Narbethong Community Hall is a highly transparent building that allows the residents and passing traffic to see the liveliness of the community whilst allowing the occupants of the Hall to have a strong connection with the surrounding landscape.

The Community wanted the building to express the heritage of Narbethong, founded as a ‘timber town’. Due to the proximity of the Bush Reserve, the new Hall is required to meet a high Bush Fire Attack level to ensure its longevity. The outside of the building is made up of floor to ceiling double glazing wrapped in a bronze mesh fire resistant screen while internally the primary material is local timber. The timber floor, ceiling and curved screen are all expressions of Narbethong’s history and the 4.2m high verticals of the timber screen are reminiscent of the beautiful trees found in the region and the Black Spur Forest.

The timber screen also creates a variety of internal spaces including nooks for small group meetings to the perimeter. The primary large gathering space is located in the centre of the building with direct access to the outdoor space to the North. Spaces can be individually heated and cooled.

The new Narbethong Community Hall is designed to celebrate the history and uniqueness of Narbethong and its people as well as create an improved opportunity for income by offering a unique setting and design for events.

The Narbethong Community Hall is a pro bono collaboration between: Emergency Architects, BVN Architecture, Arup, Contour, Rodney Vapp & Associates, BSGM, Douglas and Partners, Rodney Aujard and Associates with the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction Authority, DSE, Murrinidini Shire and the Narbethong Community Hall Committee.