The Waterfront Pavilion
The Waterfront Pavilion
The interior reflects the interiors of the naval vessels: hardy, rough and adaptable, with sheet vinyl floors, insulated aluminium walls and industrial suspended fans. Its lack of preciousness invites future change.
Built on a narrow existing wharf structure and to a tight budget the question was what should be the character of such a ‘building’ over the water of Darling Harbour and fitting tightly between two of the most significant Australian naval vessels.
Stories of service
The design seeks to bring the stories of service to life and enliven the visitors relationship with the vessels, waterfront and broader museum precinct. The articulated facade of the pavilion complements the scale, form, colour of the vessels and the broader marine environment. The Waterfront Pavilion offers a dynamic, immersive experience and is an elegant, integrated addition to the Harbour precinct.
The suspended tube ‘hovering’ over the wharf, creates space at the wharf level to move around and experience the edge where the vessels meet the water. The tube appears to ‘float’ in the air between the vessels floating in the water.This tube was then formally shaped and profiled in relation to the natural movement of visitors from the dockside up into the building, through the portals and gangways onto the vessels.
Shaped by the vessels
The pavilion is further shaped by the primary forms of the adjacent vessels themselves, the conning tower of the submarine and the bridge of the destroyer creating central formal distortions. These distortions are then transformed into large glazed portals that frame lateral views onto the vessels.
The interior of the pavilion reflects elements of the interior of the naval vessels; hardy, rough and adaptable. Sheet vinyl floors, insulated aluminium walls and industrial suspended fans. A lack of preciousness invites future change, adaptation and evolution for future curators and visitors.
Explore the architecture of The Waterfront Pavilion.
Awards
| 2017 | Chicago Athenaeum, International Architecture Awards | International Architecture Award | |
| 2016 | World Architecture Festival | Display category winner | |
| 2016 | Australian Institute of Architects (NSW Chapter) | Public Architecture, commendation | |
| 2016 | World Architecture Festival | Completed Buildings: Civic and Community, shortlist | |
Press
| 20 Jun 2020 | Arch2O | The Waterfront Pavilion, Australian National Maritime Museum | FJMT Studio | |
| 18 Nov 2016 | ArchitectureAU | Australians victorious at 2016 WAF Awards | |
| 17 Nov 2016 | Architecture & Design | WAF day one: FJMT take Australia’s first category prize | |
| 1 Jul 2016 | ArchitectureAU | 2016 NSW Architecture Awards | |
| 2 Jun 2016 | ArchitectureAU | In shipshape: The Waterfront Pavilion | |
| 27 Apr 2016 | Australian Design Review | WWI centenary marked by nautical museum | |
| 5 Apr 2016 | ArchDaily | The Waterfront Pavilion, Australian National Maritime Museum / FJMT Studio | |
