Landmark facility to be built at Brighton’s Dendy Street Beach

Bayside City Council has released preliminary concepts for a new visitor and community centre to replace the ageing Brighton Lifesaving Club building at Melbourne's Dendy Street Beach.

The design by award winning Melbourne architects Jackson Clements Burrows shows a new structure embedded into the hillside, with a long-awaited cafe constructed on an upper level.

Located at one of Australia’s most popular and photographed tourist destinations, the facility includes terraces, and a plaza with city and beach views.

Bayside Mayor Felicity Frederico said the design concept for the new visitor and community facilities reflect the iconic location while respecting the community’s preference for a ‘natural and beachy’ feel expressed during consultation last year.

Mayor Frederico stated “Dendy Street Beach is home to Bayside’s famous beach bathing boxes and is regularly used to market Victoria to both local and international tourism markets.

“The new facility will include a café, meeting space, public toilets and accommodation for the Brighton Lifesaving Club whose 650 volunteer members and the Bayside Swimming Club.”

“It has been designed to complement the unique landscape of Dendy Street Beach and the significance of the bathing boxes.

“The ground level is embedded in the hillside and houses life saving club storage and public amenities. The community space and cafe sit above as separate pavilions, optimising the views and maximising public access in and around the site.

“The architects have made the most of the natural fall across the site. The upper level can be accessed directly from the car park and generous terraces step down to a plaza.

“The terraces and plaza create a new public space for taking in views of the beach, city skyline and bathing boxes, watching the sunset and eating an ice-cream.”

A master plan for the precinct proposes a new facility more befitting the popular location, a new car park with provision for coach drop off/pick up, better access to the beach from the car park and improvements to the appearance of the beach including removing the unsightly stormwater outlet and creating a rain garden at the northern end of the building.

The Brighton Life Saving Club will provide funding towards the life saving components of the facility. Council and the club are seeking government support to fund this important facility. If successful, construction will commence in the second half of 2016.

Dendy Street Beach plays host to more than 850 lifesaving club members and 250 nippers. Commenting on the state of  the current facilities, built in 1959, Club Treasurer Tim Bolton stated the buildlng "just doesn't have the space for everyone".

"We're getting holes in the floor, it has asbestos in the roof and it floods."

Residents are invited to give feedback on the concepts. To do so go to yoursaybayside.com.au/dendy-street-beach

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