The new Penguin Parade Visitor Centre with the unique design is the new icon of
Victoria, Australia. This building got many awards such as 2020 Australian Institute of Architects, Victorian Chapter The William Wardell Award for Public Architecture, Global Architcture Awards…
The Penguin Parade Visitor Center on Philip Island has been a famous place for almost a century with thousands of tourists coming at twilight to admire the view of Little Penguins come ashore. And this is also the only place in the world where the visitors can get close to penguins.
Penguin Parade Visitor Centre is a
star – shaped building with a unique roof design, with the area is round 4950 sqm and is opened in 2019. It provides
contrasts, a state-of-the-art, sharp angled and modern building that lies a stone’s throw from the pristine, rugged open water coastline of Bass Strait.
Replacing an old structure from 30 years ago that was out-of-date and too small, the new Penguin Parade Visitor Centre offers a theatre, a dedicated education wing, an interpretive habitat space which provides a ‘penguin’s view’ of the world, as well as a range of dining and retail facilities.
Central to this journey from an urban world to the world of the penguins is the 80m long spine of the building which organizes the ultimate junction of three landscapes and arranges program around and along it as appropriate for the various functions and landscapes intertwined in these moves. Between the spine and functional spaces is a layered edge
condition of unprogrammed and
indeterminate “third spaces” of seats, interpretative elements and thresholds which simultaneously address the disjunction between the logistical pressures of a
high-volume event space and the intimacy of encountering a small penguin in its natural habitat.
The new Penguin Parade Visitor Centre contributes to a more sophisticated visitor experience on the peninsula. An area once prime real estate has been transformed into a major wildlife sanctuary, with the growth of the penguin population underpinning and funding a broader wildlife conservation program. This in turn has led to the potential for expanded visitor experiences that focus on ecological and environmental tourism.
The building sits at the nexus between 3 landscapes: dunes, headland and
wetland, only 300m from the coast,
linking these landscapes like a brooch that gathers these together and responds to each in specific ways – formally and experientially. In the middle of a large toolkit with many details, the roof of the building plays the most important role when not directly specifying the design, but also as the foundation to ensure the beautiful construction quality when it is in the harsh environment. So that, the
needs a completed solution for a unique roof.
Because of the coastal location and the specific requirements for the building’s design, LYSAGHT KLIP-LOK 700 HI-STRENGTH® roofing with
COLORBOND® Ultra Steel is the perfect solution that Terroir Architects selected.
LYSAGHT KLIP-LOK 700 HI-STRENGTH® cladding has been selected as the ideal configuration for its superior water-tightness, suitable for a coastal construction site, and also has earned FM Global
Approval. COLORBOND® Ultra Steel in the custom colour Cosmic® with ActiveTM
technology was specified for its suitability for the severe marine environment.
ActivateTM technology with the world’s only microstructure of 4 phases, ensuring
outstanding corrosion resistance for the building. Especially, even with the
environment close to the sea, the project is also covered by a warranty.
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COLORBOND® steel the perfect combination between Technology and Art, has brought long lasting beauty to the iconic projects over the years that have become the landmarks of the century – with its 04 breakthrough innovations:
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With 04 breakthrough innovations, Colorbond® steel has contributed to the creation of the architecture landmarks of the century.
- (*) Warranty term and conditions apply
- (**) Depending on level of insulation, colour, building shape and function.
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