Central Plaza is James Cook University’s new academic and social heart of the main Townsville campus. While a relatively small project, the structure was extraordinarily complex and made up of intricate millimetre-perfect human-made detail which took meticulous design and construction to replicate.
The striking design features tropical gardens, 3000sqm of turf, elevated planter boxes, seating and water features with the canopy as the centrepiece. The underside of canopy features artwork by Quandamooka artist Megan Cope, ‘After the Flood’, and is made up of 479 individually printed perforated aluminium panels. The wave-like structure generated over 2000 shop drawings during construction to ensure absolute precision.
Awards
QMBA North Queensland Regional Award Winner 2020 – Education Facilities up to $10m
Australian Institute of Architects Award Winner – Regional Building of the Year (North Queensland)
