More often than not, the awards that are most coveted by recipients are those that are judged by their peers – it’s an acknowledgement and an appreciation of a project from people in the know.
Architectural work on Monarto Safari Park Visitor Centre near Murray Bridge, South Australia, recently achieved such an accolade, in fact two, with the project winning the SA Architectural Medal and the Keith Neighbour Award for Commercial Architecture – 2023, from the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA), SA.
However, you don’t have to be an architectural or design pundit to appreciate what has been achieved on this $16.8M project for client Zoos SA.
The Monarto Safari Park Visitor Centre aims to connect people to the environment through education and history. At the heart of the new Centre is a gathering point or ‘heart’ that acts as communal space, allowing people to gather before embarking on their Zoo adventure – the celebration of arrival builds anticipation for the imminent experience.
A key design element of the project is the use of curves, particularly a ribbon-like roofline that gracefully bends, representing the intertwining of indigenous and African cultures, embodying the inherent connection with the land, plants and animals.
Designing roof structures that feature a radius can be extremely challenging to build, with suitable construction materials that can reliably and economically form these dramatic shapes being few and far between. One construction product that has proven effective over several years though is Fielders FreeForm®.
FreeForm® offers a virtually unmatched ability in curved applications enabling the cladding to be convex or concave and applied both vertically and horizontally. It also allows an impressive natural curve limit of 2m radii.
Fielders BDM – Architectural Design Solutions – SA, Marina Aburas, said FreeForm® was an excellent fit for the design goals at Monarto Safari Park Visitor Centre.
“Fielders FreeForm® has been previously used on a selection of high-profile projects in South Australia and in other states, so there’s a growing awareness of the benefits of this product among design professionals,” Marina said.
“We were approached to assist with developing design solutions for the roof, particularly for the tapering that was needed. We were also able to offer advice on a complementary translucent sheet product that would work with the FreeForm® and help meet the design objectives.
“An attractive feature of the FreeForm® is that due to being applied as continuous sheets, there was no need for an end lap. The material also allowed for a 150mm overhang without the need for stiffening. It’s practical, versatile and beautiful.”
Marina said the Fielders team including James Harrison (Fielders Project Execution Manager – SA), and Luke Bassham (Fielders Account Manager - SA), continued to work closely and be available to the architects, as well as builders and roofers, throughout the course of the project.
“We stayed in close contact with the architects ensuring they had all the information and support they needed for the project, it’s part of the overall service – Fielders is not just a materials supplier, we are a solutions provider for our partners.”
Approximately 1700m2 of FreeForm® in COLORBOND® steel colour Shale Grey™ were used at Monarto Safari Park Visitor Centre along with other Fielders materials including S-Rib™ corrugated cladding.
