The redevelopment of the Coogee Surf Life Saving Club (Coogee SLSC) headquarters has received complaints from residents who think that the building’s new design “looks like a microwave.”
A petition has been lodged asking for the restoration of the historic iconic building to its original Art Deco yellow exterior, which was built in the 1950s. So far, the petition has received 300 signatures.
“As a Coogee local, I am horrified at this atrocity purporting to be an improvement on the original surf club. It is hideous and immediately clashes with its surrounds,” Marian McIntosh wrote in the petition.
“It’s sharp edges and grey tones are cheap and lack the charm and grace of the original building. That my family were pioneers of the original building makes this even worse to witness. I call for a return to the original features of the building including the golden facade that captured the light at the start and the end of the day, in an iconic beachside way.”
The new futuristic design retained the old fashion clock face but locals say it fits oddly with the modern and rectangular building structure.
New South Wales Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said that he regrets providing funding for the surf club’s upgrade and described the modern building as an “eyesore.”
But a spokesperson for the Randwick City Council said the design did not go into a public consultation because Coogee SLSC consulted with an architect in 2017. The Council got on board the project in 2019.
Coogee SLSC president Todd Mison defended the new appearance and noted that, while a grateful surprise, they did not ask for the grant from the treasure’s office.
“Despite a couple of “knockers”, the response to our new clubhouse has been overwhelmingly positive,” Mr Mison wrote in the club’s weekly newsletter.
Coogee SLSC will officially re-open on Sunday, 13 Dec 2020, at 9:00 a.m. This is an invite-only event.
