Completion of phase one of the La Trobe Sports Park evolves the University’s sports and community offering 

Carlton VFLW players Brooke Walker, Chloe Dalton and Darcy Vescio yesterday ran onto the brand-new Australian Rules Football oval of La Trobe University Sports Park designed by Warren and Mahoney in association with MJMA Toronto.

The La Trobe Sports Park is Australia’s first purpose-built facility of its kind combining education spaces with industry leading sporting facilities.

The first phase of the project – completed in December 2018 – comprises a state-of-the-art Australian Rules Football oval, a Pavilion and a FIFA-1 standard and accredited synthetic football pitch.

Daryl Maguire, Project Principal for the development, said “The design of La Trobe’s Sports Park was created to inspire, bring together and enhance performance for participants in sports at every level, from elite athletes to active community members. Its unique, multi-purpose environment will strengthen the University’s sports education offering by providing world-class facilities for athletes at the highest level, while also acting as a welcoming space for community members.”

The VFLW team will use the new Sports Park as its home base, joining the Melbourne City NPL Youth and Women’s Teams and 25 affiliated student sports clubs – from frisbee to wakeboarding.

Warren and Mahoney worked with design partners MJMA, Arup, Tract, Wood and Grieve, PLP, Architecture and Access, Buro North and FCA, during the design process to make sure the facility met the needs of La Trobe and the surrounding community.

The 60-hectare site masterplan is designed to cater for multiple sporting codes with fields of play for AFL, rugby, hockey, soccer, and baseball, along with leisure and recreation opportunities through the site on the University’s Melbourne campus at Bundoora.

“The ability to host multiple sporting events is a hallmark of a good sports facility, but a great facility brings to life the client’s grander vision for fostering and building community. The La Trobe Sports Park contributes to the University’s vision for the University City of the Future, which will establish it as the epicentre of Melbourne’s growing Northern suburbs,” said Maguire.

Construction on phase two has begun and marks a major evolution in the expansion of La Trobe’s sports education offering. Phase two will include a new research and teaching building; an indoor stadium, complete with six, multi-purpose highball courts; space for commercial tenancy, and a plaza area offering a lookout to the Sports Park.

La Trobe University’s Vice Chancellor, John Dewar, said this new stage of development marks an important milestone in the University’s Sports Park project.

“Once the second phase is complete, our dynamic new Sports Park will offer a significant sporting hub for up to 10,000 visitors per week including community members, La Trobe students and staff, and new and existing sport organisations,” Professor Dewar said.

“We’re proud to work with La Trobe University as a partner who shares our values in placing considered and robust community consultation at the heart of the design process.” Maguire added.