Lakeside Cultural Center
/2022
Glulam arches soaring forty-five metres cradle column-free galleries whose motorised turntables reorient exhibitions toward shimmering water vistas. ETFE cushions bathe interiors in diffuse daylight, while indigenous artwork and reclaimed materials root the centre in place, fostering civic pride and year-round cultural activation.
Project Gallery
Timescales
A rapid design-build procurement compressed the schedule to 24 months, immediately following an intense eight-month community fundraising drive.
The 45-metre glulam arches arrived precisely for a narrow dry-weather erection window, and the triple-layer ETFE cushions were sequentially inflated in month 19 without delays.
A three-day soft-opening festival five months before the official ribbon-cutting stress-tested acoustics, crowd flow, and back-of-house operations under real-world loads.
Objectives
Function as both a civic living room for residents and a regional destination, with galleries able to transform from art exhibitions to weekend farmers’ markets within hours.
Deliver net-positive operational energy through PV roof films and a closed-loop lake-sourced heat-pump system, while weaving indigenous storytelling throughout the architecture.
Catalyse adjacent mixed-use waterfront development by demonstrating measurable cultural and economic uplift for local stakeholders and investors.
Materials
Monumental Douglas-fir glulam arches support a triple-layer ETFE pneumatic roof whose fritted pattern reduces glare and solar gain.
Interior partitions utilise demountable magnesium-oxide boards, exterior decks use acetylated pine, and balustrades employ marine-grade stainless cable railings.
Polished terrazzo concourses incorporate crushed abalone-shell aggregate, paying homage to traditional local crafts and adding iridescent sparkle.
Challenges
Seasonal lake flooding required deep piles driven to bedrock and under-slab capillary break layers for moisture control.
Complex box-in-box acoustic construction isolated simultaneously scheduled events inside the expansive glulam shell without sound bleed.
COVID-era shipping delays on ETFE cushions forced extensive resequencing, while community concerns about gentrification prompted late programme adjustments.