The transformation of the world’s oldest surf club is a step closer to fruition now the development application has been submitted to council.
Lockhart-Krause Architects’ design for the restoration and redevelopment of the historic Bondi Surf Life Saving Club was first revealed to the community in August 2020.
The architect has since been working with Waverley Council and Heritage NSW to refine the design. The existing 1934 building will be transformed by removing unsympathetic and intrusive additions and replacing them with new and upgraded areas. A new roof will use the same Cordova terracotta tiles that are currently being installed at the adjacent Bondi Pavilion. The footprint of the clubhouse will remain largely unchanged.
The design will also address functional deficiencies in the existing building by improving disabled access, creating more space for training, programs, families and storage, and upgrading the women’s facilities to be equal in size to the men’s.
The proposal preserves and restores the existing clubhouse, reinstating the views to Campbell Parade. The design also complements the adjacent Bondi Pavilion by creating a new public laneway that accentuates the two buildings as independent elements in the surrounding parkland.
The project appears to be well supported by the community, with a survey conducted by Waverley Council showing that more than 80 percent of the hundreds of respondees supported the concept design.
Pending approval, the project is expected to begin construction in early 2022.
