Bondi Beach Pavilion Reimagined by WE-EF

Bondi Beach Pavilion Reimagined by WE-EF.

Situated along the coastline of one of the most iconic Australian beaches, Bondi, it took over 10 years of planning and consulting before the enamoured Bondi Pavilion, could undergo its spectacular renewal.

With a 5-star sustainability rating and considered acknowledgment of the First Nations people of the region woven into its design, the reimagined Pavilion and Parkland is now a testament to both its iconic heritage and a more modern, dynamic cultural hub, something for which the Waverley Council of NSW should be incredibly proud of.

Tonkin Zulaikha Greer were engaged to carefully preserve heritage yet deliver innovation and reimagine spaces to solidify its status as a centrepiece of the community, with Electrolight responsible for delivering an exciting lighting concept and Buckford Illumination Group (NSW) supporting the delivery of the project. A broad range of WE-EF LIGHTING luminaires were chosen for the project, some of which have been used in very creative, unique applications.

Bondi Beach Pavilion Reimagined by WE-EF.

Considerations

Key project considerations for this project included:

• Robustness for coastal environments: Demanding strong corrosive-resistant coating and marine grade aluminium to ensure longevity along the tough Australian coastal conditions
• Heritage-listed buildings: Demanding careful and thoughtful consideration as to luminaire placement, with strict rules prohibiting fixing luminaires to particular heritage-listed areas
• Precision optics: Precisely placing light where needed to accentuate the contemporary and historical architectural features, without glare and without upward light spill
• Aesthetic appeal: A premium quality look and feel that blended nicely into the community space was key to luminaire selection
• Performance: High performing luminaires were needed to really accentuate features and provide amenity and safety for people in the vicinity at night
• Warranty and longevity: With a desire for minimal maintenance and luminaires that will last the test of time, a comprehensive warranty was of critical importance

Project Challenges

Given the significance of the space in Australian culture, many stakeholders were involved in many years of consultation and planning before this project could be brought to fruition.

With its heritage listing and many architectural features to accentuate, ensuring mounting options could meet the rules and regulations of the site demanded careful consideration and the adoption of a multifaceted lighting strategy for the building and surrounding parklands.

Additionally, the Waverley Council were focused on ensuring that the luminaire selection could withstand the salt-laden and corrosive air that surrounds the beachfront institution. Understanding the risks of early product failures and corrosion that can occur with cheap alternative lighting products, the Council needed to ensure there would be minimal maintenance and a strong reliable performance of the lighting solution they would select.

Solution

Having had prior experiences with the WE-EF LIGHTING brand, the Waverley Council understood the brand's commitment to delivering premium quality products, designed to last well beyond the warranty of 10 years, with many examples of coastal applications working seamlessly after 25+ years.

Electrolight specified a range of WE-EF luminaire shapes and finish colours to accentuate and blend into the various areas of the precinct, including:

• 4 x FLC240 projectors with wide beam distribution in signal black
• 53 x PLS420 wall luminaires surface mounted in a mix of [S70] and [R65] optics in signal black
• 5 x SLS410 wall luminaires surface mounted with medium beam distribution in signal black
• 4 x OLV334 wall luminaires surface mounted with [S70] asymmetric, side-throw distribution in signal black
• 11 x RMC320 street and area luminaires in grey aluminium
• 20 x RMT320 street and area luminaires in grey aluminium
• 7 x RMT320 street and area luminaires in white aluminium- used on an interior application fitted upside down for special effect All luminaires are fitted with warm white 3000 K LED chips.

Results

During the day, the carefully curated selection of various luminaire shapes is befitting of the creativity that thrives in the heart of Bondi.

RMT320s and RMC320s are strategically placed to direct light to where it is needed, so that, as the sunsets, the Pavilion and surrounding Parklands are beautifully illuminated with a warm 3000 K, delivering an enchanting ambience for everyone enjoying the space and ensuring pedestrians and cyclists can move around safely in darkness.

The building itself is aglow from the wall luminaires that are thoughtfully placed to highlight the architectural features, particularly the many stunning arches, while always avoiding any unshielded upward light spill. The beautiful arched windows, for example, are gently illuminated from the OLV300 series with the selection of optics tailored to match the width of each window to enhance its architecture.

Under the eaves, PLS400 wall luminaires are used in an upward orientation to provide soft, subtle illumination while being shielded by the ceiling.

And as you move inside, the soft glow of the uniquely positioned 'upside down' RMT320s draws your eye to the magnificent detailing of the ceiling panelling, while simultaneously providing a gentle, glare-free light source for the space.

WE-EF LIGHTING and Buckford Illumination Group (NSW) are incredibly proud to have been involved in the delivery of the Electrolight lighting strategy here for Waverley Council at this stunning, iconic community space.

Completed: 2021
Client: Waverley Council, Sydney
Sales Partner: Buckford Illumination Group (NSW)
Architect (Restoration): Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects
Lighting Design: Electrolight
Photography: Jackie Chan