FDC has been in the building business for a long time, but Royal Hall of Industries has quickly become one of the construction company’s most interesting builds to date.
Maintaining the iconic building’s heritage significance while creating a world class facility has brought about its challenges, as it pushes towards the October 2022 finish line.
“We’re about a quarter of the way through the build, and we’re tracking to get the Swans in by the end of the year, which is our major milestone,” FDC Project Director George Pavlakos said.
“Each project has its own challenges. This is certainly one of our most exciting projects we’ve been involved in. You’re dealing with existing heritage significant areas of the building, the multiple uses of the facility, and not just being an office fit out – there are also the sports facilities, the gyms, the academies, commercial kitchens, cafes and more. It’s got everything you can build in the one facility, plus the combination of the new build outside. We’re really creating this site as its own entity.”
The progress is visible both inside and outside of the building, with extensive development across the ground floor, basement excavation and a new mezzanine. Services are in the process of being bumped in, while further trenching and pipe work is evident at the southern end.
“The in-ground infrastructure is complete. The structural elements both inside and outside are now predominantly done, which includes all our footings, our piles, all the way up to the mezzanine structure, which is a concrete structure surrounding the internal perimeter of RHI. Our lift shafts, remediation to the existing windows and roof are well underway, leaving predominantly the fit-out internally to complete,” Pavlakos said
“Outside is tracking well too. We’ve had a couple of minor delays but we’re at a similar status to inside the building in terms of all the infrastructure going down, like the storm water and sewer pipes going in at the moment.”
Adding to the already complex build, every improvement made to Royal Hall of Industries must be capable of being returned to its original state.
“RHI is not heritage listed, but it’s in a heritage significant area, and elements of the building being so old have heritage significance, so we are trying to maintain that. Part of the development application approval was to ensure we could maintain all those elements without interrupting them, with also the intent that anything we do is reversible at the completion of the lease to return it to its original state. Those elements include all the windows, the existing glass, ensuring the new structure can be separated from the existing structure, so it’s reversible at any point in time.”
