The Melbourne Convention Centre has been named the ‘Overall Winner’ of the 2009 BPN Sustainability Awards and the category winner of the prestigious ‘Public Building and Urban Design’ award.
Judges said: “This project provides positive urban design outcomes, including improved connectivity. It avoids the typical black box concept of a convention centre and opens up the surrounds to include mixed uses to better activate the precinct.”
The winner of a string of recent environmental awards, the Melbourne Convention Centre is the brainchild of Joint Venture Architects Woods Bagot and NH Architecture and has been built from the ground up with the environment in mind, representing world leadership in innovation and sustainability.
An 18 metre glass façade provides the convention centre’s foyer with an abundance of natural light and sweeping views of the Yarra River and Melbourne city skyline.
Additional environmental features include the sustainable use of building materials; the first privately funded black water treatment plant in a public building in Australia; solar hot water systems; displacement ventilation; and radiant slab heating and cooling.
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s chief executive, Leigh Harry, said the awards were testament to the stunning design and environmental features of the Melbourne Convention Centre which opened in June this year.
“As the world’s first ‘6 Star Green Star’ environmentally rated convention centre – this is one of the most impressive architectural and environmental buildings in Australia and a public building that truly reflects the city it occupies.”
