Ian Thorpe Pool named Facility of the Year
Named after Australia’s five times Olympic swimming Gold Medalist, the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre in Ultimo has now taken home its own award for the Aquatic and Recreation Institute’s (ARI) 2009 ‘Facility of the Year’.
On Friday June 26 ARI President, Peter Wilson, presented the award to Director of City Services, Garry Harding, and the facility’s General Manager, Adrian Hefferman.
“I see it as the result of a great partnership that the City of Sydney has with the YMCA,” said Mr Harding.
“You make a big effort to engage the community,” he told Mr Hefferman.
Run by the Sydney YMCA, the Centre is used by more than half a million people annually, and includes gym facilities and a range of in-house health programs to engage the wider community.
Opened in August 2007, the $40 million facility was designed by renowned architect, the late Harry Seidler, with its distinctive waveform roof.
The Centre includes green initiatives including hydraulically operable roof vents for natural ventilation, rainwater harvesting for internal amenities such as toilets and sprinkler systems, and automated lighting to reduce energy consumption.
