Coogee Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC)

One of Australia’s oldest surf lifesaving clubhouses is transformed with a bold redesign that celebrates its history and signals a new era for an iconic community hub. The reborn Coogee SLSC in Sydney’s southeast has greatly increased capacity for training, events and venue hire to support the club’s lifesaving work. Sustainable design innovations include all-ability access for the first time, and new sightlines to the sand, enabling participation by lifesavers of all abilities. COMMUNITY SPIRIT Coogee Beach in Sydney’s southeast attracts around 4 million visitors a year. For over a century, Coogee Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) has patrolled the beach, trained an army of volunteer lifesavers and been a community hub for sports events, schools and local celebrations. The new clubhouse dramatically improves the club’s capacity and sustainability to train new lifesavers, patrol the shore and raise revenue for its vital work. REVITALISING AN ICON Built in 1907 on the beach’s southern headland, the original masonry clubhouse had been extended many times but was critically damaged in a major storm event in 2016, prompting its redevelopment. Keeping within the existing building footprint, the architects repaired and augmented the structure, expanded the sea wall, and turned a labyrinth of small rooms into a spectacular ocean-facing venue for a variety of uses - from lifesaver training and Club events to weddings, parties, community celebrations. Vantage points- A new balcony cantilevers dramatically over the rock ledge to the building’s east, while its north wall is opened up with glass to give the clubhouse a panoramic view of the beach, with a camera-like framing of this window. With all the sliding doors and windows open, the main room becomes a verandah. Interior replanning saw offices, bar and kitchen, bathrooms and storage all relocated from north and east to the south and west perimeters. This left a large open central space for training and functions, with a bar at either end and retractable walls to partition the space into smaller rooms as needed. Storage, bathrooms and retractable walls are concealed behind finely detailed plywood walls. Outside, the iconic swimmer’s clock and classical portico are restored, while robust new elements include zinc cladding around the ‘camera lens’ and a curved entry wall, mosaic-tiled in the Club colours. Inclusive + accessible- The new window to the beach now enables lifesavers with disabilities to participate in beach patrols. A new elevator to all levels gives the clubhouse full accessibility for the first time. Innovative + flexible- The function room integrates retractable acoustic-rated walls that partition the space into four separate rooms to host multiple groups simultaneously. Sustainable + efficient Natural light and ventilation are maximised with operable windows to the east and north. Low-E glass reduces heat intake, rooftop solar panels generate power, and water/energy-efficient fixtures and appliances are used throughout. Financial sustainability is ensured with the increased capacity to generate income in support of the Club’s vital work in education and water safety.