Rugby League scores new Sydney headquarters that captures the feel of the game
With interiors designed to evoke the feeling of being at a league match – complete with stadium-style seating, goal posts and carpet with football field markings – Rugby League Central, the new home of Rugby League, has been officially opened.
The newly completed building on Driver Avenue, Moore Park, is adjacent to the Sydney Football Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Rugby League Central was designed by HBO+EMTB who did both the building architecture and the interior design. The 3,600-square-metre space comprises three storeys plus a rooftop entertaining terrace and basement parking.
HBO+EMTB managing director Kevin Fitzgerald says Rugby League Central has been designed to bring together five separate rugby league organisations: NRL, ARL, NSWRL, NSW Country League and ARL Development.
“The challenge was to successfully bring together five organisations from one code with, nonetheless, differing cultures and histories. The interior layout is designed to facilitate cooperation, interaction and commonality of purpose while recognising and celebrating individual histories and achievements.
“At the forefront of our design has been a theme of ‘One Home - One Community’.
“The focal point of the building is a dramatic oval shaped core that forms a three-storey atrium/lobby, symbolising a rugby league football. This core structure rises above the main envelope of the building to enunciate the building’s function,” Fitzgerald says.
“The workspaces are largely open plan but each member organisation has its own regional cluster with graphic cues, including team colours and large-scale images of their respective players in action.
“Another unifying design feature is the liberal use of the chevron, the one symbol consistent throughout all bodies in rugby league. It is prominent in the foyer in several timber feature walls, in glazed areas on different floors and on the exterior fin of the building,” he says.
A special purpose-built judiciary room also doubles as a conference and media room, and the rooftop area features an open terrace with park and city views.
It was opened by the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese and NSW Minister for Sport and Recreation Graham Annesley.
The event also marked the launch of the Australian Rugby League Commission and was presided over by the commission’s new chairman, John Grant, and ARLC chief executive David Gallop.
