Located in the town of Wollert, 25 kilometres north of Melbourne’s CBD, a growing community will receive a new community centre that will provide a mix of retail and recreational amenities. Designed as a civic landmark, the Wollert Neighbourhood Centre is a “shopping centre conceived as social infrastructure,” according to OMA's regional director Paul Jones.

"Existing community activity centres in Wollert’s surrounding areas, separated from retail programs, are often underutilised. They fail to bring the community together," Jones continued.

"Our design weaves together retail, amenity and cultural spaces for use by people in the community with different needs. It will be a social condenser in the area."

A public ampitheatre offers entertainment and cultural expereiences to the public © OMA

Encompassing 9000 square metres, the Wollert Neighbourhood Centre will sit alongside retail shops and also include childcare, amenity spaces, entertainment and cultural opportunities to service the entire community and create social cohesion.

Centred around a public courtyard that will contain an amphitheatre and outdoor public space, the complex focuses on health and wellbeing with its range of diversified functions for commercial and community purposes. An accessible roof will provide sports programmes and education opportunities, as well as possibilities for urban agriculture and energy saving initiatives.

Multiple entrances appear along the façade of the building, offering ease of access into the public spaces, while vehicular traffic is separated from pedestrian-friendly areas in clearly defined spaces.

The Wollert Neighbourhood Centre is designed around a central courtyard © OMA

In response to growing development in the region, OMA was commission by the Australian retail developer Sandhurst retail to design the new centre. It is hoped the Wollert Neighbourhood Centre will become the heart of a wider masterplan for the area – one of Victoria’s fastest growing regions.

Images © OMA