Client: Auckland Council

Project Managers: Stella Projects

Engineers: Hutchinson Consulting Engineers

Contractors: Legacy Construction Limited

Photographer: Mark Scowen Photography

The years of Milford as a holiday and weekend destination accessed by electric tram car from Bayswater marina have now been and gone, but the nostalgia of theatres, exhibition and dance halls, the huge public swimming pool and the eccentric 'pirate ship' building still exists for those lucky enough to have experienced it's carnival atmosphere. These days, Milford Beach Reserve is more of a local affair, with people flocking to the beach front during the summer months and walking along its coast line as part of the East Coast Bays coastal walk. Little evidence remains of those earlier times so the changing rooms are a nod to the vernacular beachside buildings of the early 20th century - the gabled forms and pastel colours reference the common beach sheds that once spread themselves across the coastline. Historical photos framed by the exterior walls reminding us of a Milford that once was. If you look closely, a tribe of kiwis watches over the patrons of the sheds from the scuppers above.    

Practically, the shed form lends itself well to allow natural light into the space with skylights included to enhance this further. The roof hovers above the enclosure and the raised canopy allows large volumes of air to naturally ventilate the building. Steel and concrete were the material of choice, chosen for their durability in this seaspray zone, with the precast concrete walls set from weatherboard formwork to emulate those early timber sheds.