Yarrila Place, a groundbreaking civic building in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, has been honored with the prestigious 2025 Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture. The multi-functional community center stands out as an exceptional example of regional social and civic infrastructure that prioritizes community impact over extravagance, skillfully combining library, museum, council, and community functions within a single robust and dynamic architectural form.

The award jury praised the building's innovative design, describing it as a "playful programmatic Tetris" that creates a resilient and delightful structure fostering a unique sense of joy and optimism. According to the jury citation, the project embodies architecture at its finest by catalyzing engagement, learning, and inclusion across diverse communities while challenging conventional paradigms to unlock broad opportunities for connection and shared experience.

The building's most striking feature is its central, light-filled vertical street that provides vital connections to the surrounding precinct and landscape. This interior spine animates the space through expressed performative areas while establishing a beacon of community life. The design thoughtfully responds to the building's name, "Yarrila," a Gumbaynggirr word chosen by the community that translates to "place of light," honoring the area's Indigenous heritage.

As an all-electric project, Yarrila Place enhances civic uses through its main vertical circulation spine and incorporates sustainable design elements throughout. The building's formal articulation features a green shading device that is both playful and functional, animating the facade by shifting tone and reflection throughout days, weeks, and seasons. The dynamic forms and green roofs celebrate biodiversity and regeneration, creating a dialogue with the area's culturally significant landscapes and Gumbaynggirr heritage.

Community stakeholders have reported the seasonal delight the building brings to both community members and workplace users, noting its catalytic influence on community connection and precinct regeneration. The project demonstrates exceptional urban generosity, with its impact far exceeding the sum of its parts and setting a new benchmark for community engagement and cultural celebration.

The project was designed by BVN architects, with a comprehensive team including project leaders Matthew Blair and Kevin O'Brien, along with team members Liam Croft, Jessica Smith, Pi Saengporm, Laurie Aznavoorian, Phillip Rowden, Amelia Lipa, Tim Crawshaw, Kate Field, Ayelen Moure, Eric Yeoh, Barry Cantor, and Jonathan Capparelli. The construction was completed by Lipman, with project management by Turner and Townsend.

The building features specialized artwork including "Let them feel the light" by artist Emma Coulter, curated by IAM Projects and fabricated by Stainless Aesthetics. Additional artwork called "The Track" was created by local artists Ruben Browne, Denise Buchanan, Reece Flanders, Lilly Clegg, Josie Rose Atkinson, and Lisa Kelly. The project was reviewed by John de Manincor and featured in Architecture Australia's January/February 2025 issue.

Yarrila Place stands as a model for civic renewal, demonstrating how thoughtful architecture can serve as a catalyst for community transformation while respecting local culture and environmental sustainability. The building represents a significant achievement in public architecture, showing how civic buildings can successfully integrate multiple functions while creating spaces that truly serve and inspire their communities.