The City of Coffs Harbour’s Wiigulga Sports Complex has gained yet another accolade, this time for its excellent architecture.
The facility received a commendation last week in the Public Architecture category of the NSW Country Division Architecture Awards. The awards are run by the Australia Institute of Architects and celebrate design excellence for architects working outside the metropolitan areas of Sydney and Newcastle. The architects of the complex were global design firm Populous.
The facility has only been open since December 2022 but by May 2023 the facility had also been named a finalist at the Parks and Leisure Australia Awards of Excellence.
“This facility just keeps on delivering for our community,” said City of Coffs Harbour Mayor Paul Amos.
“It shows what great results you can get when a facility is truly designed for the community it serves.”
The project was driven by a grassroots community support and commitment to create an inclusive, vibrant and healthy community space for locals and visitors alike. It is the result of a detailed co-design process that engaged with key stakeholders, and this was recognised by the judges of the NSW Country Division Architecture Awards. The judges said:
“The Wiigulga Sports Complex provides a facility with far greater reach than its name suggests. The building, while primarily focused on providing high quality sports facilities caters for an entire diverse community. The legibility and flexibility of the facility is key to its success; comfortably transitioning from an indoor sports hall to a theatre to a function centre all within a day. The integration of First Nations voices in the planning stages and art and culture in the finished building, is visible throughout and provides another layer of sophistication to the building.”
The acting Director City Planning and Communities, Ian Fitzgibbon, said the flexible, multipurpose nature of the of the complex has proven extremely popular, creating a new hub of community activity for the area.
“The building has been designed to be multi-purpose. Whether you are wanting to play basketball or pickleball, cycle the pump track, have a coffee or meet friends for a yoga session, this facility has it all,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
“Congratulations to everyone who played a part in the design and the build, in particular the architect, Populous, which the City partnered with on this project.”
The Wiigulga Sports Complex project received funding from the Australian Government through the Building Better Regions Fund, the State Government and City of Coffs Harbour.
Image supplied by Scott Burrows Photographer
