We understood the need for the building to become a vital part of its community - visible, accessible and inviting. The opportunity was to build on the presence of Metricon Stadium and broaden the appeal of the precinct. A plaza was created, large enough for major event crowds and festivals but small enough to have a human-scale when empty. The building plays its part in the composition - a striking presence in the precinct and a worthy partner to Metricon Stadium.

The two large multi-court halls are separated by an internal ‘street’. It is unexpectedly playful for a sporting venue. Designed as a sparking ceramic ribbon with golden skylights, curved balconies and a suspended stair linking the levels. A theatre of sports is created when spectators, players and supporters occupy the foreground and become part of the excitement.

The street is the organising element of the venue. Enabling the easy movement of crowds on game day as well as uniting athletes mingling before and after less formal activities. Grand staircases at each end welcome visitors to the facility and create a sense that this is a building of importance. Glazed open ends offer views to the plaza and sporting fields.

Flexibility is everything, enabling an ever-increasing number of sporting activities to take place. The halls can morph effortlessly from large-scale elite sporting events to club fixtures to crowd-pleasing corporate events, making them perfect for a multitude of uses. Every part of the building supports maximum utilisation, providing a blank canvas for evolving community uses.

The integration of family-friendly spaces and the Gold Coast Suns elite training and administration facility ensures the precinct is always activated. An outdoor café sits where these converge, an essential element in making the space so welcoming.

The Gold Coast Suns Elite Training and Administration Facility has its own identity within the larger composition, overlooking and connecting to its training field and drill ground. Inside, the workplace is both functional and inspiring, supporting a cohesive and transparent culture. The co-location encourages interaction between elite and emerging athletes and strengthens the image of the precinct.

The halls are clad in metallic gold, emblematic of the Gold Coast and establishing its presence. Translucent sheeting facing the plaza transforms the building into a beacon at night. The simplicity of the composition conceals the intensity above, where the fittings and rigging for multiple sports have been carefully coordinated with lighting, ventilation and structure.

Sustainability was paramount in the design. Motorised louvres, openable windows, roof mounted exhausts and giant low velocity fans all support natural ventilation as the default mode, limiting the use of air conditioning to major events, when the facility can be closed up and blacked out for broadcast.

The building has proven its ability to host major international sporting events and provide the canvas for an ever-increasing range of community uses.