Franklin: The Centre

31 Dec

Franklin: The Centre is the largest civic building to be built in Franklin in the last 45 years, and was the subject of a 2005 design competition won by ASC Architects.

The brief called for a large library and a community arts centre, sympathetic to the strongly massed and rectilinear Town Hall situated next door. The orthogonal forms of the new building reflect its neighbour's character, but in a lighter more open language. The height of the upper roof matches that of the Town Hall's, to make clear the civic importance of the new centre.

Location
Auckland

Date Completed
2007

Client
Franklin City Council

Team
John Sofo, Matt Every, Graeme Scott

Photography
Simon Devitt

Awards

Property Council Excellence Award in Education and Arts 2008
NZIA Resene New Zealand Award 2008
NZIA Resene Local Award 2007
NZIA Resene Colour Award 2007

The two main building components, the library and arts centre, embrace a new civic space, Franklin Court, which is covered and enclosed, making it useful for community activities in all weathers. This space opens out toward the Town Hall, and is further enclosed by a smaller element accommodating the cafe and information centre.
All building components use natural light and ventilation to a large extent.

The library's saw-tooth roof admits light from the south, and exhausts air through operable louvres. Temperature and humidity controls are provided mechanically when needed and in conjunction with the natural systems.

The arts centre is also naturally ventilated, except for the gallery, which is climate-controlled to enable museum-quality exhibitions to be held there.