Melbourne firms Grant Amon Architects and Brearley Architects and Urbanists are the winners of the Victorian Pride Centre (VPC) design competition.
As the new home of Victoria’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex communities, the VPC will house up to ten major resident organisations and provide multi-use spaces, a health service, library, training room, meeting rooms, a prayer room, cafĂ©/bar, theatrette and gallery.
This space will also serve as a hub for LGBTI groups and organisations to share ideas and resources and to further their work in supporting equality, diversity and inclusion across the state.
Jude Munro, chair of the VPC board said the winning design is “outstanding and will immediately make the Pride Centre iconic and uplifting.”
“The building is due to open in 2020 and our aim is for the Pride Centre to be a catalyst for the revival of Fitzroy Street and to fit into the St Kilda design vernacular which this design does superbly,” says Munro.
The Victorian Pride Centre will be part funded by the Victorian Government who in 2016 contributed $15 million to the construction of the facility to showcase LGBTI art and will also be financially supported by the City of Port Phillip who will make a $13 million investment in the project.
Mayor Bernadene Voss says she is proud the Council’s contribution will help provide a home with services for the LGBTIQ community – as well as a place where everyone can meet, collaborate, share ideas and enjoy social and cultural events.