The ASB Sports Centre is an elegant and imaginative solution to the challenges of a tough building type and a bracing Wellington site. The structure is elemental, but the design lends it grace; the rhythmic progression of the concrete panels and the tapered edge of the roof exemplify the architects’ determination to produce a distinctive building that makes a positive contribution to the public realm. Inside, the building is light, airy and well-ventilated. The material palette, simple but considered, complements the building’s form and fits its purpose. This is a big building of great benefit to the community, and its evident success is a tribute to the ambition and vision of its architects.