In 2017, ACOR was engaged by Innerwest Council to conduct a structural condition assessment of the Southern Pavilion of the Dawn Fraser Baths at Balmain.
In 2017, ACOR was engaged by Innerwest Council to conduct a structural condition assessment of the Southern Pavilion of the Dawn Fraser Baths at Balmain. The facility, known locally as Dawny’s, is a nationally significant heritage public tidal swimming enclosure, featuring a tidal saltwater pool with its own sandy beach at low tide, situated on Sydney Harbour in the Balmain area. Our assessment revealed numerous major deficiencies and safety issues in the structure, enforcing a temporary closure to the facility. Since then, ACOR’s Structural and Hydraulic teams have been working closely with TKD Architects, Innerwest Council and Belmadar (main contractor) on the reconstruction of the entire building.
Our strategy was to provide the most effective solutions for the project to maintain its heritage significance, while minimising the environmental impact of the reconstruction works. The facility is of historical importance as a landmark and within the community, and the reconstruction proposal initially imposed several challenges from the cost, efficiency, climate change and environmental effects.
Our works included:
The facility is now officially complete and open to public again. The Southern Pavilion was redesigned to latest standards and reconstructed, identical to the original heritage building, but 1.25m higher than the original level to provide safe freeboard for a potential sea level rise. Approximately 40% of the original timber elements were salvaged, re-rated and reused in the new building to retain its heritage significance. The new building is now constructed on piled footing systems anchored into rock and supporting structure at a higher level. It has new amenities, fire suppression and electrical systems addressing all the previous safety issues.
The Client
The Team
Service Provided:
ACOR Consultants is a multi-service engineering consulting company with offices across Australia.
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