Primary students from Ivanhoe Grammar School will perform a song from Finding Nemo JR on the pool deck of the school’s award-winning aquatic centre on Sunday 26 July. It is the only day the public can step inside during Open House Melbourne.
The Coonawarra Willam Aquatic Centre at the Plenty Campus in Doreen opened in early 2025 and won the 2025 Australian Good Design Award for Built Environment, Architectural Design. Three guided tours run that Sunday at 11am, 1pm and 3pm, each capped at 25 people. The 11am tour is the one that includes the poolside preview from the upcoming musical, and it will also share insights into the learn-to-swim program.
The facility packs a lot into its footprint. A 25-metre pool sits beside a dedicated learn-to-swim pool and a gym. Flexible learning hubs wrap around the wet areas, supporting classes from Physical Education and Health to the school’s Ivanhoe Edge program. Peddle Thorp Architects and builder Building Engineering worked solar panels, passive ventilation, rainwater harvesting and Indigenous cultural elements into the design. Throughout the tours, architects and the construction team explain how they resolved space constraints and layered sustainability into every corner. A photographic exhibition on campus history runs alongside the sessions.
Booking is essential. Tickets cost $7 via Humanitix, and the tours are the only Open House Melbourne event that puts you inside a working school’s aquatic centre. Don’t assume entry is free. The 11am performance is a limited-time addition; after that slot, the singalong is done. Families should aim for the early tour. Anyone keen on sustainable school design will get plenty from any session, but the 11am slot is the obvious pick.
The centre is on Bridge Inn Road in Doreen. Drive and you’ll find accessible on-site parking. Public transport options are less direct – check the PTV journey planner for bus services that service the area. Allow extra time to reach the outer-northern suburb.
If you’re making the trip, a few other Open House Melbourne events sit within striking distance. “Milk and Honey: How German Dairy Farms Sustained Melbourne” runs across the weekend, and Oli Glows at Olivine Place opens on Saturday 25 July. Bush Modern homes are also open on both days.
The 2026 Generous City theme finds a fitting host in a school facility that throws its doors open for a single Sunday, complete with a chorus of primary school voices singing from the pool deck.
Quick Facts
Ivanhoe Grammar School
Independent Anglican school with multiple campuses in Melbourne’s north, including the Plenty Campus in Doreen where the Coonawarra Willam Aquatic Centre is located. It emphasises holistic education, wellbeing and community engagement.
Open House Melbourne
Annual event showcasing Melbourne’s architecture and design through free or low-cost public access to buildings, with the 2026 weekend themed ‘Generous City’ running 24-26 July and featuring over 180 sites.