Located on the Alstonville plateau in northern NSW, this is the first significant refurbishment and expansion project to the former Alstonville Leisure and Entertainment Centre since it was built in the 1980s. As a community facility, the existing building provides a multi-purpose indoor sports hall, multi-purpose hall and small regional library for the township, as well as providing synergies with the adjacent Alstonville showgrounds.

As part of this project, the sports hall, multi-purpose hall and amenities will be refurbished and refreshed, and a new two storey library will be built at the entrance of the site, providing much improved identity, presence, and access for the for the cultural centre.

The new library will move beyond simply a place to browse and store books and will become a living room for the community to gather, mingle and relax. The library will provide a variety of spaces including intimate nooks for personal reading and study, a central atrium with large tiered seating platforms, a dedicated children’s area and external courtyard, formal meeting rooms and most importantly, flexible spaces for the various community programs offered here.

External materials to the new library extension will be robust and tie in with the existing brick and metal cladding of the larger halls. A new double height entrance foyer connects directly to the road via an accessible bridge, and will have expansive glass to the south, flooding the building with natural light. Internally, the use of timber, textiles, and colour will bring interest, warmth, and help to delineate spaces while maintaining flexibility in the plan.