Salesian College Sunbury Sports Court Canopy
Project Details
Location: Sunbury, VIC
Completion Date: January 2019
Size: 34m x 77m (2900 sqm)
Fabric: PVC Mehler FR900N
Client: Salesian College Sunbury
Photography: © We Shoot Buildings: Grant Kennedy
Nestled within the rich heritage of the former grounds of Rupertswood Mansion, renowned as the birthplace of the Ashes Urn, Salesian College Sunbury sought to transform its sports facilities with an iconic modern structure that marries contemporary functionality without detracting from it’s historical legacy.
The Salesian College Sunbury Sports Court Canopy, a freestanding translucent white PVC roof canopy is a bespoke architectural expression and practical sporting cover, elegantly spanning across the school’s four basketball courts.
The Brief
As a premier institution with a commitment to holistic education, Salesian College Sunbury aspired to provide comprehensive weather-resistant coverage for its multifaceted sports area while addressing the need for secure student storage.
The college envisioned a modern, open-air structure that would not only shield its signature basketball program from the elements but also harmonise seamlessly with the adjacent historic cricket oval.
The Concept
The captivating architectural language of the canopy merges aesthetics and functionality through custom engineering and design. The PVC canopy’s elegant profile is created through a series of leaning-arch cross beams beneath the fabric and over-membrane valley cables, culminating in an arresting high-peaked saw-tooth-style silhouette.
What makes the Salesian College Sunbury sports court canopy unique is opposing high/low canopy sides: a testament to both thoughtful design and practicality. MakMax Australia’s ingenious team crafted a lower side oriented towards the northwest, a strategic response to prevailing winds and inclement weather. In stark contrast, the side facing the college is ingeniously opened up by elevating the leaning arches to their zenith. This ingenious juxtaposition grants panoramic vistas of the institution while welcoming the soft winter sunlight and cooling air currents during summer days.
The Materials
The translucent tensile membrane panels, meticulously engineered from premium PVDF-coated PVC, are supported by elegantly painted steel columns. This choice of materials is not merely aesthetic; it is also highly functional.
The high-translucency Mehler FR900N PVC material orchestrates a harmonious interplay of natural light, diffusing it evenly across the court’s expanse. This equilibrium of luminosity reduces glare, elevating the playing experience for athletes and enabling optimal performance.
The Result
The Salesian College Sunbury Sports Court Canopy is an architectural expression that seamlessly weaves together the schools heritage with it’s focus on contemporary innovation.
Beyond its pivotal role in ensuring uninterrupted play and practice for the esteemed basketball and sports programs, this weatherproof canopy unveils multifaceted potential. It extends its protective embrace to accommodate expansive gatherings, weather-sheltered events, and assemblies, thus echoing the institution’s commitment to multifunctional utility and community engagement.
As well as offering surety of play and practice time for their basketball and sporting programs, the weatherproof canopy has also provided opportunities for hosting other large, weather-sheltered events and assemblies, supporting the institution’s commitment to multifunctional utility and community engagement.
In the symphony of architecture, tradition, and function, the Salesian College Sunbury Sports Court Canopy emerges as a testament to visionary design, poised to enrich the lives of students and patrons alike for generations to come.
