Busselton Jetty Interpretive Centre
Address
Busselton Beach FrontConstruction
Timber framed clad externally using Primeline 'Newport' weatherboards, and colorbond roofCompletion
Completed 1999The construction and detailing of the building had to take into account the exposed location. The building exists in Summer over relatively quiet waters with an offshore prevailing breeze, whereas in winter it is exposed to extreme wind and wave action.
We were very excited when first commissioned, as the opportunity to design a building in this type of location doesn’t come around a great deal. The challenge was to design a building that needed to be a showpiece for the Jetty and the town, but also meet budget requirements to enable it to be built. The clients wanted a building that would capture the essence and identify with Busselton and befit the seaside setting. We chose the multiple roof forms to reduce the scale of the larger building and give us the opportunity to use the high pitched roof forms to create an aesthetic that all people would associate with and would be ideally suited to its location. It was not until we presented the initial sketches to the clients that we were told that the design brought back memories of the change rooms that existed on the beachfront in the 1930’s. The simple forms of the building are what make the building successful resulting in the community using these shapes to identify with Busselton. The building has now become a well known icon for the town and is recognisable throughout Australia and the world. This is something we a very proud of.