Surf Club Building and Commercial Development City Beach

The project was commissioned through an EOI and invited architectural competition. The brief for the project required a single two storey building comprising of a surf club at ground level and a first floor commercial space - the buildings to be cold shells with fit out by others. The CHRISTOU scheme questioned the brief and offered a composition of buildings framing a public space and views to the expansive coastline. Inspired by the rugged site, and breathtaking views, it pays homage to the lineage of bold buildings along the Perth coastline. The project includes; A dedicated surf club, three commercial tenancies and alfresco decking areas, public toilets, landscape plaza and street, and sea wall constructed to a depth of RL -1.0 extending from the groyne in the south to the boardwalk in the north. The linear surf club with its splayed walls emerges from the southern sand dunes and thrusts itself to the north. The commercial buildings are located to maximise the coast and ocean views. Appearing as a series of low-slung pavilions from the east; the western vistas to the ocean are maintained. The pavilions, positioned to create a public space, are set back from the surf club and wrap the plaza to the south, creating an internal courtyard for the tenancy and providing wind protection to the public space. The pavilions are aligned to the internal street. The gaps between framing views to the west and creating an arrival zone which allows for the scheme to evolve in the future. Existing pine trees were relocated to create shade within the public space and preserve the character of the landscape on the site. The scheme merges the rugged coastal topography, architecture, and landscape open space, to create a singular expression; land form and built form become one.