Adelaide Aquatic Centre – A lighthouse project for ecological timber construction

Adelaide's Aquatic Centre, one of the most important infrastructure projects in South Australia, will be completed by the end of 2025, setting new standards for sustainable community center facilities. The center impresses with its comprehensive offerings, advanced construction methods and the innovative materials used.

Project overview

After more than 50 years in operation, the Adelaide Aquatic Centre was demolished to make room for a new, state-of-the-art one. The new centre will offer many facilities such as a 50-m pool, a 25-m outdoor pool, a rehabilitation pool, play areas as well as fitness and wellness areas. The ideas of being barrier-free and inclusive dominated its design which mirrors the local landscape using natural materials. The centre is scheduled to open in summer of 2025. The use of wood as its primary building material is one of its highlights.

Details of construction & HASSLACHER's contribution

State-of-the-art timber construction technologies are used for the centre's superstructure:

• Approx. 324m³ of glued laminated timber for beams and support
• Approx. 108 m³ of HASSLACHER cross laminated timber, equating to 797m² of surface area.
• Approx. 3,130m² of pre-fabricated ceiling modules.

At its production sites in Hermagor, the HASSLACHER Group produced the largest glued laminated timber beam ever to be installed in Australia. The gigantic beams measure up to 37.1m in length, boast a cross-section of 2,200mm x 280mm, a volume of 22.85m³ and a weight of over 10 tonnes. With these dimensions, they set a new record for Australia.

Logistics & Transport

In this project, the logistics posed a special challenge and set new standards. Following the previous record of 42-m-long individual glued laminated timber beams for project Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre in Mount Gambier, the next record is being broken by the largest ever glulam parts by volume to be shipped to Australia. The production site in Hermagor shipped the timber construction elements via the Zeebrugge port in Belgium. They reached Melbourne via RORO ship, from where they were transported to the construction site in Adelaide using articulated flatbed trailers. Special permits were required for the transport and the elements marked a logistical potential challenge which was made possible thanks to our close collaboration with our experienced transport partners.

Sustainability & Innovation

The choice of materials and construction method reflect a commitment to environmentally friendly building. As a sustainable construction material, wood reduces one's carbon footprint significantly while pre-fabricated parts allow for efficient assembly on site. The project combines modern architecture with sustainable building practices which will meet both sporting and societal functions.
The centre will play an important role for sports, health and community in Southern Australia. The HASSLACHER Group is proud to have significantly contributed to this visionary project with its timber construction expertise.

Project partners:

• General contractor: Sarah Constructions
• Client: Department of Infrastructure and Transport
• Superstructure planning: Mott MacDonald
• Architecture: JPE Design Studio and Warren and Mahoney
• Timber construction: HESS TIMBER GmbH
• Building element supplier: HASSLACHER Group
• Assembly (timber): Standstruct
• Logistics partners: Transways, HiSpec Heavy Haulage, Patlin Transport, Williams Crane Hire, Advanced Cranes
• Videography Melbourne: Roger Knight, Another Dimension Project and Drone Photography
• Videography Adelaide: Tom Roschi Photography

With the completion of this project, the HASSLACHER Group once again makes a statement for the future of sustainable building and innovative timber construction around the world.