Port Hedland, Western Australia
Client: Town of Port Hedland
Completion: 2011
Construction Value: $35M

ARM has been engaged to design and document a new Multi-purpose Recreation Centre for the Town of Port Hedland. Located in WA’s northern Pilbara region, Port Hedland is Australia’s highest tonnage port in Australia, with global links to China, Europe and Japan. It is also a place of extreme climatic conditions with seasonal cyclonic periods and extreme temperatures during summer. Managing these conditions becomes a challenge for architecture, with buildings designed to withstand cyclonic conditions to Region D category 2. The mining industry also dominates the landscape and operation of the town, providing a large fly-in fly-out population.

The project site is located at the Kevin Scott Oval on the fringe of South Hedland’s flood plain. It is a significant destination for major sports and social gatherings for the local community and fly-in fly-out workers. ARM is currently designing the scheme for the multi-purpose sports facility concurrently with the masterplanning for the surrounding playing fields for future expansion. The main building will house a new indoor playing court, a gym, squash courts, club rooms for local football teams, and function rooms. Adjacent to the main building are outdoor playing courts for netball and basketball.

Our approach to the design considered this building as a mirage – a shimmering, rippling effect on an otherwise flat landscape. Using a ‘halftone’ pixelated technique, the building’s entry façade acts as a clear visual image from long distances, whilst being highly aggregated on closer inspection. The opposite side faces the Kevin Scott Oval, accommodating related facilities along the oval, including a spectators stand, change rooms and spectator suites.