Seaford Lifesaving Club, Victorian Marine Building, Australian Beach Architecture Images

Seaford Lifesaving Club near Melbourne

14 Dec 2020

Seaford Lifesaving Club

Design: Robert Simeoni Architects

Location: Seaford, Victoria, Australia

The Seaford Lifesaving Club was conceived as more than just a single building, but rather a community space surrounded by a collection of buildings. The project further envisioned renewing the beach and shorefront as a community zone.

The buildings and external spaces were devised as a series of landscape objects gathered around a central courtyard. Both the internal and residual external spaces are manipulated using folding screens to control accessibility.

The screens allow the differing zones to be adaptable to purpose, depending on the time of year and the time of day.

The main entry axis focusses views to the horizon beyond the sheltered courtyard space. There is an orchestrated and intentional overlap between inside and outside, as well as a concern for view-lines and the visual layering that becomes legible only by seeing into the spaces and beyond. This informs the way in which the sea view is revealed to the visitor.

Materials used in the building’s construction were deliberately selected based on their durability in coastal conditions. The use of timber throughout was also intended to draw attention to the fundamental spatial characteristics of the buildings while providing a neutral backdrop for the contrast between shadow darkness and bright beach-light.