New Brighton Surf Club: a demonstration of form and function

When South by Southeast Architects and Snøhetta were engaged to design the latest iteration of the New Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club in Christchurch, it was important for the building to complement the landscape and perform on a practical level for the community.

“The environment that it’s set in is by the sand, sea and dunes – so the palette is pared back. We're not overloading elements, we are letting the building connect to the landscape,” says South by Southeast Architects principal Ken Powrie. “The design was based on the idea of a piece of driftwood sitting within the stonework.”

As the third iteration of the New Brighton Surf Club – after the original structure erected in the early twentieth century didn’t survive and the second build constructed in the 1940s succumbed to the elements – it was important for this third attempt to be durable and survive in the area’s often ferocious weather.

Imitating the tones of the driftwood, sand and tussock, the community hub is clad in timber – paired with sections of precast concrete coloured with a PeterFell oxide. Fanning towards the ocean on the seafront elevation, a striking silhouette that speaks to the curves and undulations in the sand and driftwood is created.

“The Surf Club had limited funds – they're a charity so the money that they generate really needs to be spent on training and new gear. We wanted to pick materials that didn't require ongoing maintenance, but that were also going to hold up to the environment. Accoya was one of our main materials – it has amazing durability. And then the second element was the precast concrete, which is oversized and [coloured] in PeterFell’s black oxide, for a very grounding element,” says Ken.

“For the walls, the colour accentuates the ground stone – bringing out the colour of the localised stone which enables a good contrast between the timber and the concrete shed areas.”

Protecting the precast panels is PeterFell’s Natural Sealer. Instead of forming a surface coating that can be worn away over time, this sealer penetrates deep into the concrete to protect it against stains and make it easier to clean and maintain – ideal for the brutal weather that beats against the building.

Inside, black oxide and PeterFell Natural Sealer have also been used on the concrete flooring in the Club’s entry foyer, made non-slip with the PeterFell Texture Safe System. Rather than simply being an anti-slip application, Texture Safe is a permanent non-slip texture that’s part of the concrete’s surface.

“It has a bush hammered finish to the concrete, which then the PeterFell sealer was applied to,” explains Ken. “This was for durability because the area gets heavy use with a lot of foot traffic and wet feet over the top. It also gives the concrete a seamless finish from inside to outside.”

Durability is then further enhanced thanks to PeterFell’s C2 densifier which hardens the concrete surface.

Overall, the choice in materiality and colour palette means the building is sculptural in the landscape and integrates easily within the beach setting while being robust and suited to the day-to-day use of the Surf Club.

Visually striking in a beautiful environment, Ken says the new building represents more than the sum of its parts – somewhere for the whole community to enjoy for generations to come.

Words by Cassie Birrer