Cooke Park Pavilion, Parkes
As part of a wider strategy to improve the vibrancy and prosperity of the Parkes Main Street, the multi-use Cooke Park Pavilion was redeveloped to help attract large regional theatre, concert events, weddings , and most importantly, play host to the iconic annual Parkes Elvis Festival! This new facility includes a high-tech outdoor event stage, multi-purpose/conference room (80 seat capacity), kitchen facilities, separate meeting/flexi-room, a large storeroom, and accessible toilet facilities.
Northrop has forged a strong relationship, developed over 20+ years, with the project architects, King + Campbell. And it was through this relationship that Northrop was engaged to provide multi-discipline engineering services (by connecting disciplines across our offices), to help deliver this fantastic project.
The highly bespoke event stage is the centrepiece for this development. Audio visual equipment and lighting were all designed to be flexible for multiple uses and are discretely hidden/retractable so not to detract from on-stage performances. The complex design of the event stage also required an innovative structural approach - combining light steel framing trusses which housed the AV equipment and stage lighting, whilst structural steel was utilised to support the cantilevered awnings and provided stability.
Coordination across a large multi-discipline team and the remote location of Parkes were challenges our team had to collectively solve. Virtual workshops held with the project team and meticulous internal cross discipline coordination were key drivers to project success.
“As an Architect, I have worked with Northrop for well over 20 years! Availability, scope of services and coordination are their 3 key strengths. We value the fact that they are able to provide a holistic and integrated service - a “one stop shop” for projects, rather than individual consultants.” - Nigel Swift, Architect/Director – King & Campbell