Broadwater Parklands Pavilions by whitearchitecture

As architectural inspiration, the sail is a modern classic: clean, white, and statuesque; evoking thoughts of summertime and sunshine and the sea. One need only look to Jorn Utzon’s Sydney Opera House – or to the smaller-scale shade sails accenting a heap of contemporary cafés and backyards – to realise that the sail features prominently in Australia’s architectural vernacular.

In the case of the Broadwater Parklands Pavilions on Queensland’s Gold Cost, the sail motif began its role in the design resolution as quite literally just part of the scenery. The view from the site across the Broadwater to The Spit, and the white boats directly adjacent were the standout features here, and as a result, whitearchitecture encased the pavilions in a luminous white perforated skin, appearing as many fractured pure geometries, as though carved out of the site by the natural elements. The scale, colour and form of the architecture references the imposing nature of the boat hulls and sails, but also reinforces the urban fabric of the Southport CBD, stitching the city together – and to the water’s edge – both physically and conceptually: a key imperative from the client brief.

Jointly funded by the Gold Coast City Council and the Queensland State Government, through the state’s 150th Legacy Infrastructure Program, the Broadwater Parklands Pavilions were conceived to play a role within the broader parkland concept. And that overall brief was to create a major civic space for the Gold Coast: a highly sustainable parkland catering for large sporting and cultural events that would help to connect Broadwater to the Southport CBD. And the Pavilions project fulfils this intention in both form and function.

Stage one of the design has produced seven distinct elements: the Pier Pavilion, the Southport Pier, the solar shelters, the Rockpools Bridge, the outdoor stage, the amenities building, and the BBQ pavilions.

The Pier Pavilion houses the park’s visitor centre; display gallery; park administration offices; park depot and vehicle storage; public change, shower and toilet facilities; secure bike lockers; rooftop gardens, pathways, and outdoor function areas, as well as a viewing promontory. The Pavilion itself is treated with a dual skin screening façade, sheltering the internal spaces from direct sunlight and reducing thermal mass radiation. Meanwhile, a large skylight minimises the need for artificial lighting in office and gallery spaces, and a green roof – that international poster child of “green” architecture – insulates the ground floor interior spaces.

Opposite the Pier Pavilion, the outdoor stage frames The Great Lawn: the main civic venue on the Gold Coast, where up to 15,000 patrons can gather for performances or outdoor cinema events. The cladding material for the outdoor stage is perforated at the edges, casting shadows during the day, and glowing like lanterns at twilight, with the iconic Gold Coast skyline shining bright at the eroded eastern elevation.

The Southport Pier is the next step in the “procession”, and extends 150 metres into the Broadwater. Sculpted balustrading, various stepped concrete, timber and metal grating deck add experiential and textural variety, while angular solar shelters promise retreat from the sun.

These solar shelters are the third element in stage one, and also one of the project’s most innovate sustainability features. Distributed throughout the central spine, the sun shelters feature photovoltaic/solar panels on their topside, harvesting the solar energy from which visitors retreat, and putting it to use within the park. And at the base of each solar shelter is a biofiltration landscape basin, through which all the park’s runoff water passes for treatment before being reused for irrigation and other amenities.

The Rockpool Bridge is a sculptural structure of timber and concrete; a pedestrian link between the central pavilion rooftop and The Rockpools: the wet play area abutting the Broadwater. The bridge – wrapped in a perforated white façade like the pavilions – forms an entry arch for those entering from the main car park, while also introducing and integrating the architectural language of the project.

The amenities building serves as a communal meeting room, a green room during performances on the stage, and a toilet/shower/change facility for the secondary events lawn. Internal areas are accessible via a covered walkway, which also provides access to external showers, lockers, a wetland-viewing platform, and a sculptural, communal basin formed from stainless steel and concrete. Finally, there are BBQ pavilions located throughout the parkland, adding shaded seating areas to all the BBQ and play areas. Dappled sunlight filters through the roof sheeting and perforated panel soffit lining, further integrating these smaller structures into the grand architectural motif of the project, and the other larger pavilions within it.

Of course, within and throughout each of these elements are numerous energy efficient, environmentally sustainable initiatives, over and above the sun shelter/PV solar panels and Southport Pier dual skin-screening façade. There are end-of-trip and bicycle storage facilities to encourage city workers to jog or cycle to work; water recycling, stormwater management and re-use.

The site design reinforces the “processional” nature of major events, and considers the potential for massive crowd numbers. Pathways over, through, and around the buildings determine how the space is approached, and dedicated resting and viewing stops have been intentionally positioned to frame certain views of the Broadwater and city skyline. A singular approach to the materiality of the structures (the consistency of the sail motif) and the perforated white shell (which glows like a beacon at night) renders the design approachable and user-friendly.

And yet the starkness of the white façade contrasts dramatically with the landscape, while the perforations add a sense of casual lightness. So all these immensely functional features also reinforce the sculptural, aesthetic role of the Pavilions: a bright white beacon to one and all, just like the sails on the Broadwater. +

PHOTOGRAPHY Scott Burrows

1. The scale, colour, and structure of the pavilions is a very definite nod to that which inspired it: the vista of elegant white yachts across the Broadwater. 2. The distinctive form and façade transform the parklands into an architectural landmark: an important element in the cityscape identity. 3. Perforated like lace, the façade casts beautiful shadows during the day, and glows like a web of light after dark. 4. High ceilings and a large skylight minimises the need for artificial lighting in the Pier Pavilion’s internal gallery spaces. 5. By placing pavilions directly by the edge of the Broadwater, the project fulfils its aim of connecting the city with the waterside.