A major new multi-court sporting and events facility has officially opened in Melbourne’s southeast, with CREST Arena delivering a state-of-the-art venue designed to match the standards of professional sporting facilities while serving the needs of school and community sport.
Located within CREST Education’s expansive 138-acre learning precinct in Clyde, the three-court complex provides a flexible home for sport, education, competitions, training, events and community activities. The facility features 2,084 retractable spectator seats and approximately 2,750 square metres of premium-grade Maple sports flooring, both supplied and installed by Melbourne-based Ace Seating as an integrated turnkey solution.
CREST Education brings together Hillcrest Christian College, Rivercrest Christian College, the Ayr Hill Equestrian Centre and a dedicated Environmental Reserve, collectively serving more than 2,500 students. CREST Arena represents a significant step up from traditional school gymnasiums, creating a purpose-designed arena capable of hosting major competitions and events while remaining fully functional for daily school use.
The arena incorporates two large banks of wall-attached powered retractable seating fitted with 2,084 Bluecube CENTURA CT302 seats. When fully deployed, the seating accommodates more than 2,000 spectators. When retracted, the banks store neatly against the walls, freeing the full court area and allowing the venue to switch quickly between sporting and event configurations. This flexibility maximises year-round utilisation and ensures students and athletes experience a facility built for both everyday training and high-level competition.
Across the three courts, Ace Seating installed approximately 2,750 square metres of premium Maple sprung timber sports flooring. The surfaces feature custom logos, show-court graphics and professional line marking, giving each court a distinct identity while delivering the durability and performance expected of a modern multi-court venue. Combined with the retractable seating system, the flooring forms the core of the arena’s high-quality sporting infrastructure.
The project was designed by Smith+Tracey Architects and delivered in partnership with CREST Education and Becon Construction Pty Ltd. It brings together architecture, construction and specialist sporting infrastructure to create a highly adaptable multi-purpose venue for the growing Clyde community.
Jason Tully, Managing Director of Ace Seating, described the project as a strong example of integrated venue delivery. “CREST Arena is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when seating and sports flooring are considered as part of one integrated venue solution. We are proud to have played a part in delivering such an impressive new facility for CREST Education and the wider Clyde community. The scale and quality of this project demonstrates that modern school sporting facilities can provide an experience comparable with professional sporting venues, while still delivering the flexibility required for everyday education and community use.”
A defining strength of CREST Arena is its ability to transform according to need. The retractable seating can be deployed for spectator events or fully retracted to maximise floor space for training, assemblies, performances or community activities. With more than 2,000 seats and three premium Maple courts, the venue sets a new benchmark for school sporting facilities in the region.
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Ace Seating is an Australian-owned specialist supplier of premium seating and sports flooring solutions for stadiums, arenas, education facilities, entertainment venues, sporting clubs and community facilities. The company provides fixed and retractable seating, telescopic platforms, sports flooring and related venue products, supported by specialist design, technical and project delivery services. It operates across Australia and New Zealand, with an expanding presence in the Pacific, Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
The opening of CREST Arena marks a substantial investment in sporting infrastructure for both CREST Education and the rapidly growing Clyde community. By combining professional-grade seating and flooring with flexible design, the facility supports high-performance sport, everyday student activity and broader community engagement within a single, adaptable space.
