Australian Timber Design Award: Eric Tweedale Stadium by dwp | design worldwide and partnership announced as 2021 winner

In its 22nd year, the Australian Timber Design Awards celebrates the design and construction of structures that feature timber. As stated on the competition’s website: “The aim of the Awards is to develop a timber design ethos through the encouragement and showcasing of superlative timber design in a variety of applications.” It is also committed to championing the use of timber as a sustainable building and design method.

The design of the Eric Tweedale Stadium is driven by the stadium’s connection to the local environment and history of the Cumberland Plains in New South Wales, Australia. Located in Granville Park, once a forested area west of Sydney, its form and materiality is informed by the site’s heritage. 

“Sustainable design is central to what we do at dwp, and therefore environmental sustainability was an important objective of the project, and timber construction was key to achieving this,” said dwp Design Director Sydney Ivana Simkovic. “The use of a mass timber structure in the Stadium is the first use of glulam timber for this type of facility in Australia and represents an impressive achievement and benchmark in timber engineering.”

The main cantilever spans 8.5 meters (nearly 28 feet) over the seating. Timber rafters and columns are exposed in the interior spaces, which warm and soften the interior palette. The stadium includes a 760-seat grandstand with change rooms, multipurpose room, first-floor function space, commercial kitchen, and outdoor viewing deck. It is named after Eric Tweedale, the oldest surviving Australian Rugby representative.