Point Ormond Amenities Block

2014

Elwood, VIC ∙ Boonwurrung Country

“The strength of Garner Davis’ design stems from two sources. First, the architects work from a tradition, in this case the ‘Melbourne School’, with particular reference to post-war modernists Robin Boyd and Roy Grounds.”

Simon Lloyd, “Wagga Central,” Architecture Australia 88, no. 4 (July/August 1999): 54.

Leon van Schaik has described our work as “second-order modern,” and other critics have deduced Roy Grounds as a key influence, which is correct. We were excited when City of Port Phillip commissioned us to restore and upgrade an amenities building attributed to Grounds, located at Elwood Beach.

It features an in-situ concrete roof design, without radiating beams. The roof is a thin umbrella, supported by a cylinder of concrete-block piers. It forms a circular veranda that links entry points and provides weather protection. The building’s internal ventilation tube, which pierces the roof off-centre, functions as a structural core.

These elements had been retained, but the floor plan had been reworked poorly, divided into a series of enclosed spaces. We carefully removed the alterations, restoring the building in accord with its original drawings. Our additions were informed by tendencies in Grounds’ oeuvre.

Open areas inside are mutually visible, for safety. We introduced glass-block perimeter windows, so interior light creates a lantern effect at night. This was intended to signify public amenity.

Signage is discreet. Screws and bolts are expressed. Fixtures and panels are industrial, to cope with the corrosive load of the bay’s onshore winds, often underestimated in their impact on paint, timber and other less robust materials. Cubicles are divided by thin steel columns, which make gentle contact with the underside of the roof.

We detailed several curved steel sliders, which open and close the spaces along top-hung tracks, and we worked hard to achieve universal utility. The building’s new access ramps encircle it, reflecting the geometry of the original design. They connect seamlessly with existing cyclist and pedestrian paths, as well as the adjoining road.