Highlights of Gold Coast Open House 2017

In early November, the third annual Gold Coast Open House will open the oft-locked doors to the city’s most architecturally significant sites.

Taking place on 4 November, the program will unlock 40 buildings and locations across the full breadth of the city. As we have come to expect from Open House programs, the typologies of these places will be broad, comprising heritage gems, Commonwealth Games-ready sports venues, homes, churches, schools, universities, museums, art galleries, TV and radio stations, and commercial buildings.

This year’s event introduces 15 new venues along with a film night. Two architecture walks have also been added to the program: one that celebrates the rich Art Deco history of Southport; the other a nature walk through sand dunes that offer skyline views of Surfers and Southport.

We’ve put together a few of our favourite buildings to get you started:

BUCHAN GROUP OFFICE

When: 10am – 3pm Where: Level 5, 64 Marine Parade, Southport

Being architects themselves, there was no shortage of options for the fit-out of Buchan Group’s Gold Coast office. Stripping back the existing flooring and column finishes to concrete, they created a simplified palette of materials. The work was designed, documented and constructed in four months.

BURLEIGH STREET RESIDENCE

Where: Burleigh Street, Burleigh Waters

The Burleigh Street House project by ME consisted of an alteration and addition to a 1970s bungalow on the Gold Coast. The upgraded three-bedroom home consists of three connected pavilions that link indoor and outdoor spaces.

GOLD COAST SPORTS & LEISURE CENTER

When: 10am – 1pm Where: 296 Nerang Broadbeach Road, Carrara

The BVN-designed Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre will provide world-class competition and training facilities capable of hosting international sporting events such as the badminton, weightlifting and wrestling competitions during the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Q1 & SKYPOINT

When: 10am – 3pm Where: 9 Hamilton Avenue, Surfers Paradise

SkyPoint is set atop the award-winning Q1 building, one of the world’s tallest residential towers. An express elevator travels 77 floors in 43 seconds to the Gold Coast’s only beachside observation deck, which offers 360-degree views from surf to hinterland. The building was designed by SDG and the Buchan Group.

KDV GOLF & TENNIS ACADEMY

When: 10am – 3pm Where: Corner of Nerang Broadbeach Road & Chisolm Road, Carrara

Designed by Shiro Architects, the KDV Golf and Tennis Academy project consisted of a $20-million overhaul of the existing Carrara Gardens Golf Course facility. The 12-hectare site now forms a significant part of the Gold Coast City Council’s plan for the wider Gold Coast Sporting Precinct, which is partly to accommodate the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

STELLA MARIS CATHOLIC CHURCH

When: 10am – 3pm Where: 254 Hedges Avenue, Broadbeach

A study in height and light, the contemporary glass and sandstone house of worship – designed by Straw & Dunne Architects and PMG Architects – replaced an old wooden church that served its congregation for years. Building materials took inspiration from the nearby beach and ocean.