Victoria
RM Hooper Pavilion
Named after Bob Hooper, the inaugural president of the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association, the RM Hooper reserve is located in the Mornington Peninsula’s Tuerong – lying inland between Hastings and Mount Martha.
According to the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association’s (MPCA) historian, Simon Fiedler, the oval has played host to the Peninsula’s finest cricketers, international players, a touring Indian team in 1977 and Sri Lankan sides in 1985 and ’89.
To best cater for the 2,000+ sports players who use the oval, a new contemporary and fit-for-purpose sporting pavilion was designed by JMA Architects and manufactured by Modscape.
The upgraded pavilion takes the practicalities of its unusable predecessor and expands upon them to cater to current-day requirements. A club meeting room combines with a kitchen, change rooms, inclusive amenities, storage space, a first aid room and umpire facilities, as well as a 188sqm deck.
The expansive deck roof was expertly engineered to require no support beams, allowing a full, unobstructed view of the oval from both within the pavilion and from the deck itself.
While the size of the reserve is conservative, its function has not been limited. Each room is designed with flexibility in mind – the two large change rooms are able to be opened up into one large room for after-hours activities, and a connection between the kitchen and change room facilitates the serving of food and drinks for functions.
Externally, the Colorbond and fibre cement façade is highlighted by gentle shades of green, selected to assist in grounding and muting the building, blending it into the oval landscape. Meanwhile inside, blue tiles create a bright space, adding a feeling of permanence and uniqueness to the new facility.
The client sought options for a more innovative delivery approach than traditional construction, leading to the decision to engage a modular builder for the new pavilion. The RM Hooper facility serves as a prototype for modular construction throughout the rest of the council area, bringing with it advantages such as speed, less interruption on clubs and a higher quality product.
The pavilion upgrade is expected to increase sports participation in the region, supporting women through the new inclusive facilities.
“We’re pleased the redevelopment of the pavilion was able to happen quickly so we could provide a facility that is fit for purpose for all users,” Mayor Despi O’Connor told the Mornington Peninsula Magazine.
Project Specifications
Inclusive change rooms and amenities, Club meeting room, Umpires’ rooms, Kitchen and kiosk window, Medical room, Storage rooms
