BALANCE BODY, SOUL, AND MIND

BAY PAVILIONS ARTS + AQUATIC IN BATEMANS BAY

Bay Pavilions Arts + Aquatic is a unique community facility located in Batemans Bay on the picturesque south coast of New South Wales. The project takes an innovative approach towards creating a community hub that holistically caters to a small regional community’s needs. NBRS in collaboration with Donovan Payne Architects carefully designed the facilities to provide flexibility and suit a diverse and wide range of users and activities in an economically sustainable operational model.

As a significant new community facility, it was important that the building would have a story to tell about the special place that it is located in, and form connections to the rich culture and history of its people. The organic architectural forms have been inspired by the connection and interdependence that the community identify with in their relationship to the ocean and Bhundoo (The Clyde River). The undulations of the foyer awning convey the movement and rippling of water while layered facade treatments create dynamic rhythms of light and shadow that change with the passage of time and as you move around the building.

Dual spatial planning

Bay Pavilions comprises two "Pavilions" connected via a shared foyer "Link". The Aquatic Pavilion includes an indoor aquatic centre with playful waterslide tower, splash pad, gym, and programme rooms. The Arts Pavilion includes a 350 ­seat theatre, arts workshops and community meeting rooms and is the civic face of the facility. The central foyer acts as an enabling linkage where the activities and events contained within the wider facility are on display and invite participation.

Although a level of zonal separation is afforded there was an intentional decision to allow the arts, leisure, health, and recreation programmed spaces to rub off each other and coalesce. These coincidental and intentional crossovers between diverse demographic user groups and activity types creates a vibrant and dynamic community facility with greater opportunities for engagement, stimulating both individual and corporate wellness.

Ramp entries provide dignified access

The pool hall is a compact space with different activity zones that enable it to flex to a variety of functions. The 25-m pool caters for lap swimming, aqua aerobics and competition and includes spectator seating and club room. The aquat ic pavilion also includes a leisure pool, zero depth splash pad, learn to swim pool and slide tower with a focus on children, families, and recreation. A smaller warm water program pool has been provided for therapy and rehabilitation and was an important component of the facility for the local community given the aged demographic. Ramp entries are provided to all pools to provide dignified access for all.

The pool hall extends out through a series of glass sliding stacking doors, that expand the space out to a large outdoor splash pad, with two additional external slides and an external café seating area.

This outdoor space provides invaluable overflow space during the busier months. The waterslides are a playful sculptural element of the facility, and each slide provides a unique sensory experience. The aquatic pavilion also includes a fully equipped gymnasium, dedicated spin room and two program rooms with sprung floors that caters for group fitness, yoga, Pilates, and dance.

Encouraging visibility and inviting participation

These program rooms and the pool hall have glazed connections back to the foyer and forecourt, encouraging visibility and inviting participation from people who may have come in to see a show at the theatre or use a community meeting room.

Similarly, the foyer is also punctuated with views into the dance rehearsal space and the wet and dry arts spaces, encouraging those who might have come in for the pool to see the promotion for an upcoming event in the theatre or get involved in one of a number of arts or communitybased activities that run in the centre. A gallery has been positioned adjacent to the theatre bar to showcase locally created artwork.

Wider understanding of community wellness

The unique design response has intentionally challenged and subverted traditional approaches to buildings of this vernacular and seeks to provide a holistic place that promotes a wider understanding of community wellness. The combination of physical fitness, health, arts, and recreation interwoven in one precinct provides a unique opportunity to balance body, soul, and mind.

The building incorporates numerous passive and active sustainability initiatives, with an emphasis on lowering embodied and operational energy through the lightweight mass timber construction and high­performance facades and services. The design enables the building to open­up and connect with the external environment with mixed mode ventilation and stacking doors when the conditions permit. Creating connection with the town centre was also important to encourage active transportation to the site, integrating with existing pedestrian networks and cycleways.

Community inclusivity was essential, and the design approach considered the inhibitors and barriers to participation, so the design response encourages a broad cross section of the community to feel welcome and participate. The community response to the building has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly around the use of timber, the quality of natural light and connection to place through the organic building forms and biophilic design principles.