Lismore Memorial Baths
- Client
- Bennett Constructions NSW
- Location
- Lismore | Bundjalung Country
- Sector
- Community
During the 2022 Northern Rivers floods, the Lismore Memorial Baths sustained extensive damage to both the interior and exterior of the buildings. Bennett Constructions engaged BKA Architecture to design and document the remediation of these invaluable leisure and cultural facilities for Lismore’s community, utilising $5.7 million in funding from the New South Wales and Federal governments and Lismore City Council.
The heritage-listed Lismore Memorial Baths were established in 1928 and are situated in the heart of the city near the Wilson River. Built in the Classical Revival style, this interwar structure was designed to function both as a recreational sports facility and a war memorial for veterans.
The scope of work undertaken by BKA encompassed extensive replacement, reconstruction, and refurbishment of the building’s internal walls, floors, and fixtures to address flood damage, employing flood-resistant materials. The works were carried out in three main areas: the Pavilion, which featured a new ticket booth and a commercial-grade kitchen facility installed to ensure compliance with food and safety standards; refurbishment of amenities; and the installation of new glazing, amenities, and communications rooms in the Life Saver Tower.
As part of the remediation works, new grandstand seating and external gates were installed around the facility’s perimeter, employing composite timber battens for their flood-resilient properties. Additionally, new signage was designed throughout the facilities, while the pools were drained, decontaminated, and cleaned.
Preservation efforts were also undertaken to restore the cultural and heritage assets by revitalising the exterior of the Pavilion and its original wooden sliding door at the front entrance, using paint colours and glazing that matched the original building fabric.
BKA transformed the Lismore Memorial Baths from a previously tired facility before the floods into a revitalised state-of-the-art venue for the regional community, now comparable to any in the state.