BONDI ICEBERGS CLUB

Date completed: Novemeber, 2012

The iconic Bondi Icebergs Club shall remain buoyant moving towards its 100th year with the new refurbishment it has just completed. Designed and project managed by Sydney based 2RKS Architecture + Design. Richard Salman, Director or 2RKS Architects says, “Part of the design brief was to create an atmosphere of warmth, invitation and comfort and competing with the best of any Eastern Suburbs venues without the pretense”.

Inspiration for the design of the Bondi Icebergs was drawn from the unique atmosphere and culture Bondi has given Sydney beach-siders and tourists worldwide for decades. Having grown up near a beach community in Long Island, NY, Richard drew experiences with a personal understanding of the beach culture to design for people with an ever-increasing desire for appealing venues with good food and atmosphere to enjoy with friends and family.

According to Kerrie Brien, Secretary Manager at the Icebergs, “We envisage a market ability for the club to advantage themselves as being a premier daytime and night time spot in Bondi- with the design by Richard and his team at 2RKS we really have achieved this”. Coupled with the ocean breeze and its iconic views, Bondi Icebergs’ fine food and drinks will have the look and feel to match its renowned location. The Bondi Icebergs Club has an ambience that is classy yet informal, fashionable yet beach-going and renewed yet familiar.

The materials that were used on the interior are a subtle reminder of the beach. Italian tiles machine- cut to strips gives the impression of the timber slats of a boardwalk, pier or esplanade. The carpet is a custom designed axminster that embraces the dapple and colour of the sea at Bondi while it blankets the shoreline in a non-repeating roll from the north to the south end of the club.

The dining tables furniture are custom designed for a variety of functions and dining experiences. The finish is a pearlescent white reminiscent of the shells found clinging to the rock pools below. The Imported custom cane dining chairs and stools are the first of its kind in Australia.

Photographs, trophies and memorabilia are proudly displayed in custom joinery cabinets with the colours and textures designed elsewhere in the club. “Our design for the Bondi Icebergs club”, Salman said “takes the club to its next stage in its development by ‘adding onto, rather than subtraction from’- was the design initiative”. By “Attracting new patrons while not alienating the existing club members, by integrating new elements to the venue adds to the increased culture and value to the club, its patronage to this long standing establishment rather than diminishing it by ignoring its historic value”.

Next in hospitality