Richard Crookes Constructions (RCC) was engaged by Penrith Rugby League Club (PRLC) to design and construct the Western Sydney Conference Centre and Pullman Sydney Penrith, in partnership with Turner Studios, Census Advisory, Accor and PLRC. The collaborative efforts were second-to-none, with an array of stakeholders working together to deliver this future-focused social infrastructure.

Situated less than an hour from Sydney, at the foothills of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, the Western Sydney Conference Centre and Pullman Sydney Penrith has evolved the local region into an aspirational business and lifestyle destination – offering a wide and dynamic range of services and spaces for meetings, events, and functions.

Guests of the Hotel will have access to some of the best the region has to offer, with associated facilities including a café, restaurant and bar, an elite fitness centre and sauna. The 1,250m2 Conference and Exhibition Centre is equally as spectacular, featuring a state-of-the-art bar, pre-function area and commercial kitchen designed to combine business and leisure.

“The Western Sydney Conference Centre and Pullman Sydney Penrith is the largest facility of its kind west of Parramatta. In my eyes, this is a huge drawcard for the local community,” said RCC’s Project Manager, Joe Amodeo. “Roughly 2.2 million residents live in the Penrith area – we’re proud to have worked closely with the Panthers Group to deliver facilities that will improve the service offering for the local community and its guests.”

The Western Sydney Conference Centre and Pullman Sydney Penrith project commenced in December 2019 and was placed on hold during COVID-19. Works re-commenced onsite in February 2022, with final works completed in August 2023.

An impressive 2,591 employees were inducted onto the project, with an average of 200 workers, contractors and staff attending the site daily.

This glimmering architectural community precinct features 420t of structural steel, 6,000m3 concrete and more than 200lm of operable walls to the Conference Centre, which also features 8.5m high ceilings.

RCC’s project team worked closely with subcontractors on the structural steel components of the project, devising a strategy to ensure the complex truss installations could be completely assembled on the ground before being lifted into place as complete units.

This collaborative approach ensured the assembly quality of these critical elements was correct, while also increasing the safety of workers by keeping construction on the ground rather than at 16m in the air.

A project of this scale and finish required agility and a solutions-focused approach to ensure it was completed within budget. Navigating material lead times and escalation throughout COVID-19 proved a unique challenge. To mitigate potential challenges, the RCC team prioritised the procurement of materials earlier than usual, while concurrently managing industry-wide labour shortages.

RCC is an Australian, family-owned construction company that has been delivering critical social infrastructure since 1976. Servicing NSW, QLD, and the ACT, RCC is built on a shared legacy with clients across a wide array of sectors and divisions – bringing projects to life that enhance local communities and beyond

World-class projects like the Western Sydney Conference Centre and Pullman Sydney Penrith require world-class window furnishings. REILLYS, a family-owned and operated business specialising in window and soft furnishings, were contracted to complete all the window coverings throughout the conference centre and hotel. They even installed traditional window coverings in non-traditional ways, to divide space.

“This project was architecturally unique, and our window coverings had to compliment the architects’ designs. We went as far as manufacturing every hotel room curtain with a custom off-centre split to ensure the curtains met on the timber panelling. This was extremely intricate but was essential to control the amount of light leaking through the centre when the curtains were closed or in use” – REILLYS’ Senior Project Manager, Krystie Lewis.

“Additionally, there was a requirement to custom curve each track to suit the distinct boomerang-shaped design of the façade. Most companies would have needed to outsource this, which we knew would be timely and costly. Instead we worked on resolving a way to custom-curve in-house, eliminating lead times to ensure we worked efficiently and in-line with the builder’s programme.”

Over 4,000m of fabric was required to complete the 160 hotel room curtain’s alone, “With that much fabric required, we needed to have the fabric milled, which takes months to complete. So, we had to be one step ahead and remain proactive throughout the entire duration of the project to not impact the programme,” said Krystie.

In the café lounge, REILLYS installed the incredibly impressive 7m high sheer curtains that surround the space, creating a lush, warm and cosy place to relax. This space alone required over 34m of fabric, which as you can imagine is extremely heavy to handle and required precise installation methods to have it fitted with custom curved motorised tracks at that grand height.

“There was an extremely high level of detail that went into the manufacture of these curtains, as well as high volumes of fabric that needed to be handled, which of course takes extra time. We cannot commence manufacture until we have exact measurements, to obtain these measurements site needs to be at a specific stage with pelmets completed, flooring laid and walls sheeted” said Krystie. “As this site was moving so quickly, we had to work in close with the builder and site managers to ensure we were coming in at the minute we were required to deliver milometer perfect curtains on time.”

Due to the curvature of the building, the meeting rooms are situated in the centre of the building. To ensure there was natural light in the spaces, skylights were built into the ceiling.

Of course, where people are meeting for business, there is the requirement to blockout light during presentations. REILLYS worked with the builder and architect to design a treatment method that would be both aesthetically pleasing yet functional but could also be serviced at a 4m ceiling height in the future. The solution was a fully enclosed skylight motorised roller blind system.

Another concern that was raised during the construction phase was a need to create a private dining area for VIP guests in the restaurant. REILLYS designed in conjunction with architect a custom suspended semi-circle curtain and track that was fit in the middle of the room, this track was constructed by our installation team onsite to suit the desired layout.

When it came to the management of this high-detail project, REILLYS assigned an experienced team to oversee the daily operations involved, which included a senior project manager, a site manager and two senior installation specialists. “This project pushed us out of our comfort zone, which is really where we thrive. We pride ourselves on our innovative perspective and no job is ever to challenging. WSCCC specifically led us to source and work with new products and introduce new economical methods of execution at a really high level”, said Krystie.

Work on site began in July 2022 and was completed in mid-2023. REILLYSbegan collaborating with the builder and architect advising on window furnishing provisions and designs in the very early stages back in 2018.

REILLYS founded in 2003, have been prominent in the industry for over 20 years, with their experience spanning over 4 decades. REILLYS are leaders in the Healthcare and Aged Care sectors, as well as working in commercial, education education and in recent years launching a residential department. REILLYS not only specialise in window furnishings but also custom soft furnishings such as bed furnishings and cushions. They also supply high volumes of healthcare products, acoustic treatments, external products, accessories and more.

Current projects the company are working on include The Ribbon W Hotel common areas, Little National Hotel 42 Honey Suckle in Newcastle, Canberra Hospital Redevelopment and Charlie Parker. By Coronation.

Quikdeck Roofing to install quality and innovative roofing systems, suitable for the unique, state-of-the-art Western Sydney Conference Centre and Pullman Sydney Penrith

Based in Sydney, the Quikdeck team installed the project’s metal roof, associated plumbing, wall cladding system as well as Quikdeck’s new product offering, the Durra Panel acoustic system.

Durra Panel is made from reclaimed wheat straw constructed into large acoustic panels with Durra steel sections. The Quikdeck team travelled interstate to the manufacturing plant for product and installation training and connection with the metal roof system.

“This proved invaluable for the set-out, coordination, and multiple crane lift sequencing on site,” said Quikdeck Managing Director, Brett Culey. “Large modules of Durra Panel and Durra steel sections were assembled on the ground and then craned onto the steel structure, with the Durra steel sections forming an I-beam purlin system under the metal roof system.”

Despite La Nina wet weather events and COVID-19 impacts affecting the industry, the Quikdeck team successfully delivered within the project and public opening timeframes with a specialist installation team of 10.

“Our team began on site in October 2022 to install 3,500m2 of roofing and 1,600m2 of Durra acoustic panelling under the roofing. We completed all roofing, roof plumbing, wall cladding system and acoustic panelling in Jan 2023,” said Brett.

Quikdeck is an award-winning company, awarded by the National Metal Roofing Association and has long-term relationships with reputable clients spanning 15+ years. Over the years, the team have demonstrated their commitment to quality and experience in the industry, leading them to become the preferred installer for major industry suppliers.

Current projects include the Nextsense Centre of Excellence (formerly the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind), a high-profile, innovative, state-of-the-art infrastructure project.

Yakka Group, the Australian-owned civil engineering and construction company, were tasked with delivering the external concrete and formworks required for the construction of the Western Sydney Conference Centre and Pullman Sydney Penrith

“We are proud to have worked on such an impressive and community-centred project,” said Yakka Group’s founder and civil engineer, George Boughaleb.

“Our teams were responsible for the concrete and formwork within the public domain and the externals around the hotel. The public domain works we completed include large entry planter walls, numerous pathways, and council works.”

“Our focus for this project was to create a cost-effective, timely and durable end product that also looks and feels aesthetically pleasing. In order to meet these expectations, our team delivered exposed/acid-washed concrete and sandblasted pathways. We also achieved a class 2 finish on the in situ walls,” said George.

The Yakka Group employs 30 people, with approximately 15 of those working on this project across the various build stages.

Yakka Group are specialists in civil engineering and construction backed by 30 years of combined civil engineering and structures experience. Yakka Group take pride in delivering personalised building and construction solutions with the best quality materials, expert workmanship and unending dedication to meet each client’s unique project requirements.

“We are proudly Australian-owned and carry a strong ethos for supporting staff of all backgrounds,” said George. “Yakka believes Indigenous, Torres Strait Islander, Non-Indigenous and Immigrants help support and grow our beautiful country. Yakka means hard work and paying homage to the Indigenous rightful landowners of our beautiful Australia.”

Current projects include Matraville youth and cultural hall, Marsden Park High School, Chatswood Public & High School and Casula Rent-A-Space.