A proposal from the City of Darwin to develop a new Civic Centre has recently been approved by the Northern Territory Development Consent Authority (DCA), with the council having announced that works will commence shortly. Designs for the project by CA Architects were unveiled in November last year.
City of Darwin CEO Simone Saunders said the newly developed Civic Centre would transform the precinct with a community plaza and enhanced connection to Civic Park, while creating more community amenities.
“The new Civic Centre will be accessible and inclusive, featuring a larger library with an expanded footprint as well as meeting rooms and function spaces that can be booked by the community,” Saunders said. The public program of the building will be accompanied by office space – a portion of which will be used by City of Darwin’s administration and technical services staff.
The new building will be built on the site of a current car park adjacent to Darwin’s existing civic hub, which will be demolished upon completion of the new centre. In its place, a new plaza will be created.
According to their media release, the council envisions the plaza as “a space where people can visit, connect with others, and engage in community and business activities and events.” They note that “the new plaza will also respect and give prominence to Galamarrma, the Tree of Knowledge” – an existing Banyan tree within the existing entry courtyard that’s significant to the local community.
The City of Darwin has partnered with local construction company DCOH in order to build the $150 million building. In a media release, the council notes that they are investing $77 million into the project, including $41 million into the council’s portion of the new building, $30 million in public car parking and $6 million in landscaping and revitalisation of the current Civic Centre site.
The remainder of the construction costs will be covered by DCOH, who will own and operate the commercial space on floors 11 to 20 of the building. According to council, the partnership “creates efficiencies in the costs to build the new Civic Centre, however City of Darwin will retain majority ownership of the land and the building.”
Managing director and CEO of DCOH Shane Dignan said the development approval brings excitement for DCOH in their efforts to contribute to local industry.
“Growing Darwin and the territory is something DCOH prides itself upon, and we are thrilled to be taking the next step towards this with the new Civic Centre” he said. “A lot of hard work has gone into this architectural landmark project since its inception.”
In their communique, the council notes that the “project has been in planning for over four years, and the final procurement process had probity oversight in place to ensure all requirements were met.”
The project has amassed mixed reactions. At the DCA meeting on 21 March when the project was granted approval, Australian Institute of Architects chapter president Miriam Wallace expressed to the authority that “the revised design did very little to address the concerns raised by the authority in its deferral” noting that it “provides bare minimum facility to the street and the public realm, and in no way addresses the request to provide an active street facade.” Other architects and Institute members present at the meeting also voiced concerns.
Construction is expected to begin early in this year’s dry season, which runs from May to October, and be complete in 2028.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
