After being given the keys to the kingdom, Eoghan Lewis Architects has slashed Kings Langley Cricket Club and Amenities through the covers. The facility serves both club and community and was delivered to a modest budget.
The build encompasses two pavilions, one that comprises a function room, canteen and toilets, with the other featuring change rooms and storage. The pavilions sit side by side, addressing the oval and define an in-between space.
"The brickwork, utilised for its poetic qualities and grit, conceals many building services, with the roof forms acting as programmatic markers and poetic signifiers of what’s within, each space finding its own poetic expression in response to need, ventilation, illumination and scale. Chimneys further the ventilation of the change room and the amount of natural light within each space," the firm says.
"A platform digs into the hillside that grounds the building and acts as a grandstand. The building is able to be sectioned off and is versatile to fit the needs of Council and community. Security screens ensure the durability of the building will remain despite the efforts of vandals and inclement weather. The rough face of the bricks has been deliberately exposed to bring texture to the structures, with tones of red and orange bringing a sense of warmth."
Eoghan Lewis Architects says it sought to create a space that will be duly appreciated by both the cricket club and community. The quasi-sculptural pavilions and their vigorous exteriors are unfamiliar yet familiar and meld with the locale suitably.
Over time, the practice says it "hopes the structure will dig in and create a partnership with the community reminiscent of many batsmen at the club, with textural choices made in order for it to stand the test that time outlays."
