St Clair Recreation Centre

The St Clair Recreation Centre is the result of a design and Construct partnership between Swanbury Penglase and Badge Constructions.

The Centre consists primarily of a 6-court basketball stadium within a column-free space, afforded by a substantial and heavily engineered steel roof truss
system.

The courts are flanked by retractable seating areas, change rooms, store rooms and amenities.

Ancillary spaces include meeting rooms, a cafe at the front entry, an upper level function space, including commercial kitchen, with views over the indoor courts and a dedicated indoor roller skating rink.

The project is in the context of a broader City of Charles Sturt master plan which includes an outdoor nature play area, skate park, outdoor basketball and tennis courts and playing fields. The project originated as a refurbishment and extension of the existing St Clair Recreation Centre, a modernist structure built in 1962 as the ‘St Clair Youth Centre’, most likely designed by John Tulloch. The original centre has a local heritage listing, and has been stripped of later additions and incorporated into the new larger structure.

The project exhibits sustainable initiatives such as maximising natural light, (whilst excluding glare to the courts), admission of natural ventilation and on-site stormwater management, and a 30% increase over standard Building Code requirements for energy efficiency.