Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Country: Australia
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) opened in 2009, answering Melbourne's calling for modern global conference and exhibition facilities. The centre is the first in the world to receive a 6 star Green Star Rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, for the way in which the MCEC integrated sunlight through the innovative use of BlueScope Steel products and as an alternative to other resource-heavy materials such as concrete.
The development boasts a 5,000 seat hall, a Hilton hotel and modern business, retail and dining precincts. The development has given the city competitive weight against the traditional conference capital, Sydney.
Architects Woods Bagot and NH Architecture attribute their inspiration to touring the world's key convention centres and discovered 'what not to do'. Hamish Lyon, of NHArchitecture notes the ease for human traffic within the development. Once inside the centre, unlike some international examples, there are no dead ends which allow easy movement around and between the various areas within the site. "It's like a game of Snakes and Ladders," he says, "you can always find your way down, across or up."
The triangular site planning was coordinated in conjunction with bicycle and pedestrian routes. One tip of the dark, zinc clad crystalline shape juts out 40 metres to the south, to create sheltered outdoor exhibition space next to the exhibition centre.
The northern roof contributes to solar shading with steel supporting the glass facade. Using steel in the structure over concrete has avoided the need to fabricate on site and having to back pour concrete, ultimately minimising framework and scaffolding.
BlueScope Steel rolled 700 LYSAGHT KLIP-LOK® sheets in COLORBOND® Metallic steel in the colour Facade® were used to form the roof, which is a key part of the A$1.4 billion redevelopment. In addition to the usual benefits of using LYSAGHT® over alternative materials, LYSAGHT® provides high quality water carrying capacity and has an innate 6 star rating that contributed to the building's overall 6 star Green Star Rating.
The MCEC foyer soaks up natural light, the 18 metre high glass facade supported by steel window mullions helping to easily locate the visitor centre at street level. The first three metres of the perimeter wall of the foyer are also painted a bright orange, a reference to the steel paint primer used on the boats in the site's old maritime era.
Anton Buenemann, Director at roofing specialists Aldek Roofing, noted requirements needed to gain a 6 star Green Star Rating: "Energy efficiency, recyclability, transportation and installation are all factored into the rating system," he said. The consideration of these elements in the MCEC construction highlights its environmental sustainability and the flexible nature of steel allows for design changes, enhancing the structure's adaptability.
Victorian Premier John Brumby says the MCEC will generate A$200 million a year for his state's economy and create 2,500 new jobs over the next two decades.
"The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is a perfect example of the type of building and the type of innovative architectural design we want to encourage in Melbourne," Brumby added.
Victorian Tourism and Major Events Minister, Tim Holding, says the A$1.4 billion redevelopment of the South Wharf precinct, of which the MCEC is centrepiece, was intended to "dramatically boost Melbourne as a leading events and business destination."
