Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Funded by Rail Projects Victoria (RPV), North East Link and West Gate Tunnel, Grimshaw architect’s new Victorian Tunnelling Centre is an Australian-first as the only facility of its kind where students can train within replica mined and bored tunnels on the same site.
Located at Holmesglen Institute’s Drummond Street campus in Chadstone, the new facility provides a state-of-the-art learning environment for people to be trained in underground construction and tunneling, and develop the specialized skills required for critical city-shaping projects, such as Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel, West Gate Tunnel, North East Link, and Suburban Rail Loop.
Designed to simulate real-life scenarios, the center includes an exact replica rail tunnel with segments identical to those used on the Metro Tunnel, as well as a mined tunnel to present students with general underground tunnel conditions.
To support this experience-based learning, there are two multi-purpose engineering workrooms, mixed reality experiences, and outdoor demonstration spaces.
To help invigorate the recruitment and retention of workers in the tunneling industry the design approach seeks to rebrand it for the 21st-Century, providing a sophisticated workshop that elevates the trade through the considered application of materials and scale.
Lined with curved anodized aluminum panels, the tunnel section that forms the entrance to the building defines the arrival space and heralds the significance of the center’s learning offer and visitor engagement.
The large, open, column-free interior allows the center to efficiently adapt to evolutions in the tunneling industry and in education and teaching practices.
The façade design provides a simple, cost-effective solution, which uses insulated and translucent panel systems for fast construction and optimal building performance.
Working closely with the client, the Grimshaw team evolved the brief and design response to deliver—on time and within budget—a rational, sophisticated, and functional building that celebrates the highly skilled workforce that is set to significantly shape Melbourne and Victoria.
Project: The Victorian Tunnelling Centre
Architects: Grimshaw
General Contractor: INTREC Management Pty Ltd.
Client: Holmesglen Institute of TAFE and Rail Projects Victoria (RPV)
Photographs: Derek Swalwell
