project

A giant 3D puzzle of architecture , australia

Text: Isabelle Priest Photography: Stephen Nicholls

P erth Arena

14 15 he design of Perth Arena is based ball courts slide over tennis courts. It is easy on Christopher Monckton’s Eternity to see how a puzzle became the vehicle for its TPuzzle, a puzzle filling an almost external expression. Its sheer multi-functional- regular dodecagon (polygon with twelve sides ity makes Perth Arena an impressive giant 3D and twelve angles) with 209 irregularly- puzzle and piece of architecture. shaped smaller polygon pieces. The architects designed an impressive, flexible concert The complex is based on ‘Eternity,’ a puz- venue and sporting events stadium. It is a zle that was launched in 1999. Thought to be piece of architecture that resembles a giant practically unsolvable, its manufacturer offered and complex jigsaw puzzle. a £1 million prize for whomever could solve it within four years. Unsurprisingly, it became a With its 9800 triangular panels and a global craze, and was solved about a year after thousand rectangular panels, its architects - its launch. By the time Eternity Puzzle II came Ashton Raggatt McDougall (ARM) and Cameron out in 2007, preparatory construction work for Chisholm Nicol (CCN) – appear to have used the Perth Arena had already begun. rhetoric of the puzzle to describe the building’s outward and inward aesthetics. However, this Located in the city centre, the new 28.000 interpretation is rather superficial, based on square metre arena replaces Perth Entertain- subsequent impressions rather than the archi- ment Centre as the first phase of a 13.5-hectare tects’ original ideas. urban renewal project to link Perth’s central business district directly to Northbridge by The idea of the puzzle can be extended to sinking the railway line. Opening last the very essence of the building. Containing a November, the building cost AUD 548.7 million flexible concert venue and sporting events sta- (about €355 million) and has become home to dium with a capacity of 15.000 people, where the Perth basketball team, the Wildcats, and coaches can drive directly onto the arena floor, the international tennis tournament, the Hop- 16 and featuring five multipurpose function rooms, man Cup. 17 a 686-bay car park in the basement, a 56-me- tre by 35-metre retractable roof that opens in Unique façades just seven minutes, 36 corporate suites, and Whether viewed from the grand boulevard half a dozen food and beverage outlets; the to the south or from the elevated freeway to building is highly complex. Interlocking basket- the west, the building has been designed so

1 2 Vertical A thousand or sloped rectangular elements with panels and Transom the glazing panels are arranged single glass 9800 SG SG Transom triangular SG Mullion Transom Transom in bold geometric patterns SG panels SG SG SG SG Mullion Mullion SG Mullion Transom Mullion Transom Transom Mullion

Transom Mullion Transom Transom

Transom

Transom

Transom Mullion SG SG SG Transom Transom SG SG SG Mullion SG Outside Inside Outside Inside SG SG Mullion Mullion

Mullion Mullion Mullion Mullion from 24º 90º until 79º Transom Transom Transom Transom 5 6 The dynamism Lots of glass of the building and skylights Ev en though it is a complex building, continues on create light and the inside airy function it has been designed to be easy to rooms navigate and bring people together 18 19

that no façade or entrance can be seen as more thermal movements, structural movements, and by means of the ‘Best Use of Windows and Doors acts to the city that may not have otherwise important than another. Instead, the building is system loads imposed by the building’s diagonal Commercial – New Construction’ award. visited. And most importantly for Perth, and defined by nine unique façades, which take the transoms. For ARM and CCN, the system had as a whole in relation to the form of interconnecting polygons that fold over to merge into the lightweight aesthetics of the For all the building’s complexity, however, it East Coast, it keeps the city and its sporting and and overlap each other. In turn, these façades exterior. During the day, the windows appear has been designed to be easy to navigate and entertainment scenes vibrant. are broken up by the colour ‘International Klein almost - if not completely - invisible against the bring people together. Standing at over fifty R ecreation/entertainment centre Perth Arena Blue’, white and black cladding, and glazing other façade materials. At night, however, bolts meters tall, the circulation spaces are arranged Architects: ARM Architecture, Perth and and Cameron panels arranged in bold geometric patterns, re- of light streak across the building, transforming around huge atriums. Staircases within these Chisholm Nicol, Perth flecting the explosive atmosphere of events held it once again. Inside, the windows are the con- spaces allow visitors to get a perspective of General contractor: BGC Construction, Perth inside. This theme is continued at the interior necting device between outdoors and indoors. their orientation and feel more connected to Fabricator: Alcom Fabrications, Perth Reynaers system: bespoke solution based on CW 50-SC entrances, foyers, and multifunctional spaces The variously angled glazing frames that merge activities happening on the many different lev- where splashes of red, orange, and yellow have with the patterns on the exterior are picked up els; aided by more than 300 screens for digital been added to timber panelling to aid zoning and and continued in alternative directions. signage. This method of opening up floor plates orientation, and as a continuation of the enter- in strategic areas also means that away from tainment vibe. And as if the building’s structure and aes- the atrium, by the food outlets and bars, there thetics were not ambitious enough, Perth Arena is a cosier ambiance with lower ceiling heights. Lightweight aesthetic elements also has a strong environmental agenda with A similar approach has been taken in the main In the context of such a complex façade sys- mixed-mode natural ventilation, low-energy dis- arena itself where differently sized events and tem, Reynaers created a bespoke solution based placement air conditioning, and photovoltaic ar- more intimacy can be accommodated by curtain on the CW 50 Structurally Clamped Curtain Wall rays on the roof. With U-values of approximately screens which pull across to divide the space. range. The glazing has been adapted to a non- 1.5 and an SHGC ranging from 0.23 to 0.6, the standard shape with parallel sashes to integrate CW 50 system fulfils these ambitions. The build- In Perth Arena, the architects have created seamlessly into the overall triangular cladding ing has also been recognised for its bespoke a building with the level of buzz through its vivid system. The design can withstand all wind loads, windows by the Australian Window Association colours and dynamic geometry that will attract 18049 mm

CW 50-SC 66º

FOLD LINE

1 FOLD LINE

17º Single glazing

FOLD LINE FOLD LINE

16920 mm

CW 50 with caps

Double glazing INSIDE

3 2 1. S ingle glass structural 5. EPDM membrane CW 50-SC CW 50-SC Vivid colours 20 clamped 6. Mechanical fixation EPDM vertical section bespoke façade and dynamic 21 2. Silicone seal 7. Cut out in mullion sloped elements solution geometry At night bolts of light streak across the 3. SSG silicone seal 8. Inside finish sheet 7 4. Aluminium sheet building, transforming it once again

project solution

Systems: Bespoke solution based on CW 50 structural clamped façade

1 Project description: 2 Development of a bespoke solution to be used in a very complex inward and outward sloping façade The irregular shaped elements required custom-made glass supports and T-connections Integration of several irregular shaped Parallel Opening Windows in the façade 4 Special corner connections 7 Bespoke transom and mullion 5 Frames had to be slim with a minimum of aluminium visible through the glass 6 Bespoke finishing profile and accessories 8 2 Elements: 3 Mullions of some elements are clamped onto a steel substructure 1 Several different-sized elements with irregular shapes 7 Air-Wind-Water testing in the Reynaers Institute

Glazing: Some elements in single and some in double glazing Acoustical variants with a 32 mm spacer and an acoustic layer between the glass panes Due to the high loads caused by the slope, special protection was foreseen to avoid the glass from falling out.