hawthorn arts centre

A series of projects were undertaken across the complex to improve functionality, hospitality, flexibility, circulation, security, acoustic integrity, building maintenance, navigation and messaging, all undertaken while the centre continued to operate with functions, events, tenancies and exhibitions.  To optimize the outcome and budget, and mindful of preserving the embodied energy already invested in the centre, elements were strategically transformed, extended and re-configured while often recycling and reusing building elements.  The projects included re-imagining the main entry, refurbishing offices, acoustically treating meeting spaces, extending and reshaping the artists’ studios, re-configuring the youth centre while supplementing with new amenities, extending the commercial kitchen, acoustically separating the community arts space using major steel beams on acoustic pads and installing an acoustic cathedral ceiling over revealed original trusses to radically transform the space.

photographer: Peter Bennetts