Winner of the 2019 Heritage Architecture Award- Australian Institute of Architects NSW Country Division

Winner of ‘Conservation: Built Heritage’- 2019 Heritage Awards

kingscliff hall and amenities

A fondly loved Heritage Listed beachfront community hall and amenities refurbishment.

2018

Location: Kingscliff, New South Wales

Originally an easily identifiable modernist building of the early 1960s, Kingscliff’s Community Hall sits small and unobtrusively on the intersection of Marine Parade, the town’s beachfront avenue. The brief called for a refurbishment of the existing structure, and the creation of a clearly legible series of connected buildings- each with their own functions, but all a part of one obvious core idea and concept. The building was initially constructed as a singular community hall, however, over the years amenities facilities, a general storage room and the local caravan park manager’s residence were added to the building in a set of poorly considered and out of character additions to the original- and architecturally beautiful- structure. As such, the original simplicity and intent were lost to many locals, who didn’t realise or recognise the potential of the hall at their doorstep. Our involvement in the project was centred around one key idea- that the refurbishment was more about what to take away and pull back, rather than what to add and crowd on top of the existing mix of building styles and characters. As such, all the poor extensions and alterations were removed to expose the original building, and from that the clear east to west connections that distinguish the building were created. A stage was removed from the hall and new glass doors added to the beachfront side to create space for breezes, views, and connection from front to back. The new public toilets, whilst orientated towards the newly established Rowan Robinson Park, also opens to the west once again, further encouraging use from both the beach and street. Finally, the rebuild of a glazed wall in the visitors’ information centre established the third such connection and thoroughfare. Throughout the design and construction process, the use of specialist heritage engineers also assisted our ability to update the building’s compliance with structural and construction codes through only small and subtle changes.

Awards: Winner of the 2019 Heritage Architecture Award- Australian Institute of Architects NSW Country Division

Winner of ‘Conservation: Built Heritage’- 2019 Heritage Awards

Project Team:  Marguerite Pollard, Matt Cooper, Takuya Watanabe with Michael Scott (Conrad Gargett Architects as Heritage Consultants)

Structural Engineer:  Bligh Tanner

Building Certifier:  Tweed Shire Council

Landscape Architect:  Tweed Shire Council

Builder:  SEE Civil

Photography:  Tim Casagrande Photography