For 60 years, COLORBOND® steel has helped Australians bring their ideas to life, from homes that reflect their surroundings to spaces built to last, and designs that endure our climate and time.
Every roofline, wall and structure tells a story of the people who imagined, built and cared for it. This anniversary is as much yours as it is ours, because COLORBOND® steel has always been Made by You. Made by Australia.
Our story is a story of Australian communities and people who use COLORBOND® steel to help realise their dreams. In this blog, we will take you on a journey of inspiration, showcasing four Queensland projects.
The Condensery
The Condensery, Somerset Regional Art Gallery. Photography: Paul Bradshaw, Manson Images
At this regional art gallery, Brisbane architects PHAB hybridise old timber with dramatically coloured new steel to make something unique.
In adapting The Condensery: Somerset Regional Art Gallery from a packing shed into a sophisticated contemporary gallery space, PHAB Architects (Brant Harris and Ashley Paine) have shown that they have the restraint, decorum and subtlety that the project called for. By employing a new steel structure they were able to rescue a frail, but important, timber building. And by using a new steel cladding made from COLORBOND® steel in the highly distinctive colour Manor Red®, they were able to provide the gallery with a characteristic visual identity.
PHAB made extensive use of steel, both structurally and as cladding. Steel had the advantage of being invulnerable to termites – an important consideration in a region where every other timber fence post seems to sport a termite nest, and given the original floor was being retained (allowing possible termite access through the old and cracked slab). Steel cladding was cost-effective, with low maintenance needs, and would still allow a subtle modulation of colour and some formal exuberance and ‘shape making’ in the building’s celebrated western facade.
To Learn More: The Condensery, Somerset Regional Art Gallery | STEEL PROFILE®
Suncorp Stadium 
Suncorp Stadium, Photography: Paul Bradshaw
Brisbane’s redeveloped Suncorp Stadium opened in June 2003 and delivered more than a state-of-the-art venue on a modest footprint. Its clever design created instant atmosphere and a great spectator experience.
The choice of which venue to develop and the evolution of Suncorp from the home-grown Lang Park into a world-standard football stadium has not been without controversy. The transformation of Suncorp Stadium had its genesis in 1998 when the Queensland government commissioned a study on stadium options for Brisbane.
Showy sculptural forms, towering projections and other expressive tropes of sports architecture were rejected by the architects. Alastair Richardson of HOK S+V+E explained that what they aimed for was a building that didn’t look particularly like a stadium and that had a consistent profile on all sides. The extent to which Suncorp Stadium is not an iconic statement is therefore a measure of its success.
Steel has been used extensively – as framing for the grandstands and main structure (more than 1800 tonnes of steel columns), with only the corner sections in reinforced concrete. The continuous flat roof that links the four grandstands is a steel truss structure with roof cladding made from COLORBOND® steel in the colour Windspray®. More than 21,000 square metres of COLORBOND® steel and 19,400 lineal metres of purlins in GALVASPAN® steel made by BHP Steel (now BlueScope) were used for the stadium’s roof.
Read More: Suncorp Stadium | STEEL PROFILE®
Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club
Located right near the ocean at Broadbeach, the Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club is a Gold Coast institution. With over 1,700 active Surf Club members and 14,000-plus Supporters Club members, it is perhaps the best-known establishments of its kind in Australia.
The generous folded roof form was a fundamental element to the design; its form typifying a subtropical architectural language and supporting a strong narrative of the building which expresses the relationship between the two primary user groups. Both the Supporters Club and Surf Club are visually expressed and are sheltered under one roof.
With a deep profile, concealed fixings and wide pans of the roofing profile in conjunction with the COLORBOND® Ultra steel offered the required protection against the harsh coastal environment while fulfilling all our design objectives.
Holloway House: Where a beachfront beauty meets enduring strength. Designed for Queensland Living
Perfectly positioned on the oceanfront, this property, aptly named Ocean’s Edge, offered sweeping views, salty air, and the unmistakable sound of waves rolling ashore.
Once a humble beach shack, the home has evolved over time into a modern two storey residence at the front, with a charming colonial-style structure at the rear, tucked amid lush tropical gardens that open directly onto the sand.
Recent upgrades included a new roof made from COLORBOND® Ultra steel in colour Surfmist®, perfectly complementing the fresh white palette of the home. The couple retained the same colour for the original front garage roof, maintaining harmony across the design. Subtle black accents, such as the balcony handrails and a sleek new kitchen, now frame the home’s predominantly white scheme, adding balance and contrast.
The choice of COLORBOND® Ultra steel was both practical and essential; designed and tested specifically for severe coastal conditions, it’s recommended for properties within 200 metres of breaking surf.
Read More: Holloway House | COLORBOND® steel
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