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Augustine Centre, Hawthorn
The Augustine Centre, in Hawthorn, Victoria, is located in a beautiful brick building built in 1889 which was originally built for Sunday school meetings and functions. When the congregation made it their main place of worship in the 1970s the organ from the original church was moved and relocated in the hall. The main Hall had small rooms directly off the Hall. The church functioned in this building for 30 years with the hall being more of a large corridor than a hall with access to the rooms only via the main hall as well as the outside toilets.
As part of the Augustine Centre’s innovative approach an upgrade of the facilities began with the following brief:
Brief
- The building to become multi-functional; clearly identify reception and have easy access around the building
- Create a separate hall space with potential to hang paintings on the wall
- Bring the toilets inside the building
- Create a lounge area
- Create easy access to the existing gardens at the rear of the building
- Maintain the integrity of the building
Design Solution
- To separate the hall a foyer and passage were created within the original hall at the front and rear of the hall respectively
- All the doors in the hall from the small rooms were concealed to give privacy and create wall space for gallery
- A passage was created on the south side of the hall giving access to rooms at the front and rear of the building in addition to the toilets and kitchen area
- A single storey building was erected to the south of the existing centre and separated by a courtyard to accommodate therapy rooms and workshop space
- A number of foyers allowed direct access to the courtyard and rear gardens
- A lounge area was created with directed access to the courtyard
- Timber doors, architraves and paneling in the hall were covered up creating hanging space for artworks while the original doors were maintained in the passage to the service area
- The original timber doors and dados were maintained in a number of rooms and foyers
- The arches in the Hall have been accentuated through colour and lighting
- Colour integrates the original architectural features such as timber paneling, light fittings and the organ to create a contemporary ambience in a heritage building
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