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Margaret Tierney Centre

Margaret Tierney Centre

St Bernard’s College is a leading Catholic boys’ secondary school in the Edmund Rice tradition. The Margaret Tierney Centre is a flexible learning facility designed for Years 11 and 12 students.

The state-of-the-art Centre nestles into a sloping site at the school’s front entrance, presenting itself boldly to the street while partially retreating into the soft landscape.

Client
St Bernard’s College
Location
Essendon, Victoria
Photography
Peter Clarke
Traditional Country
Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung
Timber features prominently within the 280-seat amphitheatre, where acoustic baffles hang from the ceiling. Clad in perforated Tasmanian Oak panels, the striking ceiling resembles a cave roof with descending stalactites.
The Senior Centre stands out with its crisp white façade and contemporary design. This two-storey building features bold angled window reveals and distinctive pop-out window bays, adding interest and natural light to every space.
In the kitchenette adjacent to the theatre, curved Hoop Pine feature walls enhance acoustics and reinforce a sense of warm enclosure.

The ampitheatre connects the first and second levels. Specifically designed for Year 11 and 12 students, the Centre features 20 modern classrooms, a central internal amphitheatre, and dedicated wellbeing and career counselling spaces.

Client testimonial
"...an impressive facility that aligns with the College’s mission of educating boys, striking a balance between robustness and transparency. The exceptional acoustics … (create) a calming and focused senior learning environment."
Learning Environments Australasia’s Victorian Chapter
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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands where our studios are located, the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung people of Yálla-birr-ang, Collingwood and the Wadawurrung people of Djiling, Geelong.

We pay our respects to Elders, past and present, across all regions of Victoria and beyond. We honour the design ingenuity of First Peoples over millennia, their unique contribution to our understanding of place, and their care for the Country on which we create.