Arts Epicentre by Branch Studio Architects

In its design for a new cultural hub at Caroline Chisholm Catholic College in Braybrook, Melbourne, Branch Studio Architects approached the brief as if it were for a public performing arts building. The facility caters to dance, drama, music and fine arts programs, while also accommodating large gatherings and performances. A central atrium is a meeting point for the disciplines and serves as an adaptable performance space.

A folding steel and glass door connects this space to its surrounds, while four ply-clad light catchers suspended from the ceiling are a nod to a small domed space admired in the building that previously occupied this site. In plan, practice spaces are organized around the perimeter of performance spaces to enable all rooms to alternately host both stage and audience. The flexible and operable configuration of the plan allows the ground level spaces to be easily reconfigured from a series of spaces into one overall space. This is controlled by a number of operable stage curtains that also create a clean-slate black backdrop to performances when required. The floor plate can contract and expand not only externally but also internally when required.