In 2013, the judges and attendees alike were impressed by the technical difficulty and striking visual appeal of the Bellbowrie Swimming Pool, making it the clear winner.

Following the 2011 floods, Brisbane City Council engaged Bureau Proberts Architects to design a new flood resistant pool facility for Bellbowrie. The building’s form is arranged in two pavilions encapsulating a community verandah space that overlooks the pool through a new landscaped square with innovative brick feature walls facing the street.

The building as a whole has a strong civic and visual presence. This has been achieved through contemporary brickwork design using a Flemish bond bricklaying pattern that incorporates two contrasting colours. As well, a selection of bricks project out from the wall that play with light and shadow for added visual interest. The architect worked closely with an artist to design the pattern, which references the flowering gums of the area. As a result, the large, free-form gum flowers are represented by PGH Crevole bricks that can be seen clearly from the street. PGH Nutmeg bricks with an expressed flower motif provide the contrasting background to the gum flowers. Depending on one’s distance from the structure and time of day, the appearance of the large gum flowers and flower motif is ever-changing that is both impressive and eye-catching.

PGH Bricks & Pavers
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