Previous | Next
Previous | Next
Coogee SLSC awarded by international Olympic and Paralympic committees
October 2021
We’re incredibly proud to share the news that Coogee SLSC has won the IPC/IAKS Distinction for Accessibility at the 2021 IOC IPC IAKS Architecture Prizes in Cologne, Germany.
A hub for community in Sydney’s southeast, Coogee SLSC is one of Australia’s oldest surf lifesaving clubs, patrolling a beach of over 4 million visits each year. It reopened in December 2020 after a transformative redesign of the club house following its severe storm-damage in 2016.
In collaboration with Randwick City Council and Coogee SLSC, AJC redesigned the club house, expanding its teaching and events facilities to greatly improve the Club’s capacity to train new life savers, patrol the beach and generate revenue for its vital work.
Design of the now single-level club house, with a new lens-like view to the beach, and elevator to all levels, created all-ability access for the first time in Club history, enabling people with different physical abilities to become surf lifesavers at Coogee. It’s been so successful, that it will soon be a pilot site for other surf lifesaving clubs becoming more inclusive.
It’s especially gratifying for AJC, having previously received a Silver Medal at the IOC IPC IAKS Architecture Prizes (2013) for Milson Island Sports & Recreation Centre.
These awards recognise excellence in the design and operation of fully inclusive and universally accessible indoor and outdoor facilities and are organised jointly by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS).
An official awards ceremony took place in Cologne/Germany, at the international IAKS Congress and FSB trade show.
“It’s humbling and gratifying to be recognised by the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees and IAKS for this project, which has been a labour of love for so many. Redesigning the Coogee SLSC was about so much more than repairing and extending the building. Its transformation not only secures the Club’s financial future with peerless new facilities, it’s also opened new pathways for people of all abilities to become surf lifesavers. I can’t think of a greater community legacy than breaking down barriers to inclusion.” —Michael Heenan, Director & CEO, AJC Architects.
