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Architectural Review, The, Oct, 2000 by Sheila Hughes

A linear bar capped by a huge roof, the shooting centre is muscular yet precise, like the sport itself.

Olympic shooting events will be held at a purpose-built complex at Cecil Park, 50km to the west of Sydney. A linear, low slung bar in the landscape, the centre has three Olympic ranges -- 10m, 25m and 50m -- together with a fully-enclosed finals range and covered spectator and support areas. Trap and skeet layouts are provided in separate external enclave on the south edge of the building. Shooting is a discipline that has come off the land and this is reflected in the building's simple forms, robust materiality and connection with the outside.

Like the sport itself, the building is tough yet precise. The various ranges form a necklace along a thin double-height spine enclosed by an oversailing monopitch roof. Cantilevered off a massive truss that runs the length of the building, this powerful angular form is the centre's dominant element. At 280m long and 9m high, the roof is much more heroic in scale than the Archery Centre (p62), with which it has an apparent formal similarity. The large overhang gives protection from glare and assists with cross ventilation. On the north side, the building digs into the site, so minimizing its impact in the surrounding landscape of mature eucalyptus trees.

A mixture of bunker and shed, the centre exudes a taut, functional elegance. Circulation is logical and legible. From an entrance concourse at the west end of the building, spectators are directed along the upper storey of the spine, while the lower level is for competitors. Linked to the upper part of the spine are terraced viewing and seating areas at the end of each range, with an overall capacity for 10 000 spectators. The building is most strongly expressed through its section and the repetition of the cantilevered galvanized steel roof beams that march off into the distance along the spine. Steel is combined with slabs of rough sawn hardwood cladding, veneered plywood ceilings (for acoustic absorption) and concrete floors, emphasizing the pervading sense of rusticity and unassuming toughness. Bold graphics complete the composition.

Architect

Group GSA

Project team

Edward Lynch, Jeffrey Klein, Brian Graham, John Andreas

Structural, civil and mechanical engineer

Sinclair Knight Merz

Landscape consultant

Spackman & Mossop

Photographs

Paul Raftery