Architectural Coral Ark Nabs Honours

A Contreras Earl Architecture designed Coral Biobank has been awarded an Energy Globe Award as a national leader in sustainable design.

The mushroom coral-inspired building, aimed for completion in 2026 in Port Douglas, would house up to 800 species of hard corals, which are under threat of bleaching. 

The concept design features undulating concrete fins clustered closely at ground level to offer protection from adverse tropical conditions, including the threat of flooding. 

The building will operate as an education and research facility with capacity for hosting events, according to Contreras Earl Architecture’s director Monica Earl who spoke with The Urban Developer about this project earlier this year. 

“When ‘The Living Coral Biobank’ brief presented itself to us, we recognised a project that was incredibly motivating to us as designers,” Earl said.

“This purpose-designed facility aims to secure the biodiversity and long-term survival of the Great Barrier Reef and coral reefs worldwide. 

“While the corals are the primary user of the Biobank, our ambition is also to create a beacon for environmental awareness.”  

▲ The world-first Coral Biobank will preserve up to 800 species of hard coral from the Great Barrier Reef.

Contreras Earl Architecture has been engaged on a number of futuristic design concepts, recently designing a VTOL vertiport.

Earl said they preferred to take on the more ambitious projects. 

“We are often asked the question about our preferred project typology,” she said.

“As a practice we believe that it is not about the scale of the project but the scale of the ambition of the project.”

The Coral Biobank is being designed with the Great Barrier Reef Legacy, ARUP and Warner Sobek to create the world-first facility under the UN Sustainable Development Goals for best practice social and environmental outcomes. 

The Great Barrier Reef Legacy is undertaking expeditions to collect coral species, which would eventually be housed in the coral ark at Port Douglas when it is completed in 2026.