Manuelle Gautrand Architecture, DesignInc, and Lacoste + Stevenson have won an international competition for the design of a civic and community building in the Australian city of Parramatta. The six-story, 12,000 square meter building, a mixture of rectilinear sharpness and parabolic curves, extends back from the city’s Victorian Free Classical style town hall. The new structure will include a variety of spaces, including: council chambers and offices, a library, public roof gardens, a customer care center and visitor experience center, community meeting rooms, a technology hub, and an innovation space.
The design was endorsed by the Parramatta City Council after the consortium design was unanimously chosen by the jury. According to Parramatta Mayor Paul Garrard, “The jury was tasked with selecting an iconic design and they have certainly fulfilled that brief. The architects have produced a contemporary and thought-provoking design that is sure to become a must-see destination for visitors to Parramatta, and we congratulate the team on producing a spectacular winning design.”
The building budget is $AUD 50 million, and is part of a larger project to overhaul the adjacent area in the “Parramatta Square” Urban Development project, a $AUD 2 billion masterplan. The concept designs will undergo analysis before a Development Application can be made. The building is expected to be completed in 2020.