Centenary Pool Complex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Centenary Pool Complex |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | 400 Gregory Terrace, Spring Hill, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1940s–1960s (post-World War II) |
| Built | 1959 |
| Built for | Brisbane City Council |
| Architect | James Birrell |
| Architectural style(s) | Post-War International |
| Owner | Brisbane City Council |
| Official name: Centenary Pool Complex | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 5 November 1996 |
| Reference no. | 601240 |
| Significant period | 1959 (fabric) 1959–1980 (historical, social) |
| Significant components | trees/plantings, swimming pool, tower – diving, restaurant, bathroom/bathhouse, grandstand, kiosk |
| Builders | Cyril Porter Hornick |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Centenary Pool Complex is a famous swimming pool and diving centre in Spring Hill, Brisbane, Australia. It was designed by the architect James Birrell and opened in 1959. This special place is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical site.
Contents
A Splash of History
The Centenary Pool complex was built in 1959. The Brisbane City Council created it to celebrate two big events. These were 100 years since Brisbane became a city and 100 years since Queensland separated from New South Wales.
Brisbane City Architect James Birrell and his team started designing the pool in 1957. It was finished in November 1959. This was Brisbane's first Olympic-standard pool and diving complex.
Until 1980, it was Brisbane's main place for water sports. The complex even had a fancy restaurant. This made it more than just a sports facility.
Olympic Inspiration
The City Council chose to build an Olympic-standard pool for a good reason. People were very excited about swimming after the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. Australia did incredibly well, winning 13 gold medals. Eight of these were in swimming events!
After the Olympics, competitive swimming became super popular. In the next ten years, Brisbane City Council built seven new public pools. The Centenary complex was the only one with diving facilities. The Council also wanted a wading pool. They hoped it would help young children learn to swim.
James Birrell's Design
Centenary Pool was the first public pool designed by the City Architect. Before this, the City Engineers usually handled such projects. James Birrell was Brisbane's City Architect from 1955 to 1961. He designed many important buildings for the city.
The Centenary Pool Complex and the Wickham Terrace Car Park are two of his most important designs. Birrell was known for trying new and exciting architectural ideas. The Centenary Pool design is quite unique. It doesn't look like other modern buildings from the 1950s in Australia.
Birrell wanted the Centenary Pool to be a work of art. He didn't just want it to be a simple, useful building. He used common materials in new ways. For example, the steel in the restaurant and diving tower was shaped by shipbuilders.
The complex was built to fit the natural slope of the hill. This meant they didn't need to dig too much. The design also included special features. These were underwater floodlighting and observation windows. Coaches could watch their students swim from below the water!
When the pool officially opened in 1959, these features were a highlight. The Governor of Queensland, Sir Henry Abel Smith, watched an underwater diving show. He saw it through the observation window.
The original design also included a landscaped entrance and car park. Harry Oakman, a famous landscape designer, helped with this part. In 1960, Centenary Pool was named one of the top ten buildings in Australia.
Over time, the restaurant changed. By 2009, it had become a gym and medical offices.
What the Pool Looks Like
The Centenary Pool complex has several parts. There's a large swimming pool, a diving pool with diving boards, and a round wading pool. It also has a grandstand for spectators, a bathhouse, and a two-story building with a restaurant and kiosk.
These buildings sit on a raised platform. This platform is built into the side of Victoria Park hill. The complex uses concrete, steel, brick, and glass. The different parts have interesting shapes, both geometric and curved. The whole design is inspired by modern art and architecture.
The architect, James Birrell, described the design. He said the pools were placed in a "random manner" to create a "festive air." He wanted the complex to feel like a free-flowing shape with sharp, geometric cuts.
Key Features
The main swimming pool is very large, about 50 metres (165 feet) long. Next to it is a grandstand with seats for 1200 people. The diving pool has a tall, four-level diving tower. There are also single-level diving boards.
The bathhouse is a long, curved building. It has changing rooms for men and women. The restaurant building is raised up. It has curved walls and seems to hang over the swimming pool. You can get to the restaurant by walking up a concrete ramp.
The buildings have many cool details. The restaurant's curved walls are made of glass panels set in steel columns. Inside, the restaurant is open and bright. The kitchen is in the middle, surrounded by a curved wall.
The bathhouse has a metal roof and different types of walls. The changing rooms have tiled floors and large concrete benches. The women's change room has blue partitions, and the men's has grey and blue tiles.
Even the pools and the surrounding area are special. The main pool has rounded edges and special tiles. The wading pool has fun, abstract patterns made of tiles. The diving boards are supported by unique concrete columns. The diving tower has curved stairs.
The area around the pools is paved with hexagonal concrete tiles. There are also raised seating areas and plants. Both the diving pool and the main pool have special windows. These "portholes" let people watch swimmers from a "clubroom" below the pool level.
The complex also has beautiful "modern tropical" plants around its edges. These include colourful plants like Acalyphas and Hibiscus. Many of these plants are original to the design.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The Centenary Pool Complex was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1996. This means it's a very important place for several reasons:
- It shows Queensland's history: It was a big part of Brisbane's 1959 centenary celebrations. It also shows how popular competitive swimming became after the 1956 Olympics.
- It shows a special type of building: It's a great example of a 1950s Olympic-standard pool and diving complex. It's as important as the Olympic pools built in Melbourne and Canberra around the same time.
- It's beautiful and unique: The design is very clever and creative. The buildings have interesting shapes and decorations. The original plants also make the complex look even better.
- It shows great skill and creativity: The design is very advanced and shows a lot of imagination. The way it uses shapes and details is very inventive.
- It's important to the community: It helped develop competitive swimming in Brisbane. It was the city's main water sports centre for over 20 years.
- It's linked to an important person: The complex is one of the most important public buildings designed by James Birrell, a famous Queensland architect.
