Extending the Coastal Narrative – Beach House Geelong by Studio Esteta

Within its heritage-listed shell, Beach House Geelong captures the spirit of its history and combines with modern and refined coastal café sensibilities. Together architects Hare and Hare, Studio Esteta conjures a relaxed and casual eatery experience, connecting openly to its location and embracing the outdoors.

Opening to and outwardly engaging with the ocean, Beach House Geelong captures a sense of nostalgia through careful preservation and celebrates its heritage within its current iteration as a combined kiosk and café offering. The new takes cues from the surrounding tonal colourings, where a subtle palette of soft and welcoming hues endows the interior with warmth and encourages an effortless transition between inside and out. Ensuring the resulting space felt connected to the existing fabric was key, and capturing the beachside aesthetic and casualness ensures a connection to both the building’s positioning and past. Studio Esteta engages collaboratively with architecture by Hare and Hare to refine and extend outward while adding further layers to its intricately storied narrative.

The new takes cues from the surrounding tonal colourings, where a subtle palette of soft and welcoming hues endows the interior with warmth and encourages an effortless transition between inside and out.

As a result of the landmark pavilion’s heritage listing, the new works, built by Landbuild, needed to be completed through an appropriately sensitive lens. Within the already established internal volumes and working with existing openings, the new offering takes on a pared back and relaxed approach in conjuring a series of spaces for its wide-ranging audience. The injection of a modern approach to dining and space-making ensures a contemporary relevance. The new Beach House Geelong encompasses dedicated dining space, a takeaway kiosk and a function space, all within the same original roof and form.

Situated on the Bellarine Peninsula, the Beach House sits within both rural and coastal milieus, while also being in near proximity to Melbourne and its hospitality scene. Taking reference from the success of destination type venues, there is an expressed celebration of the building’s past that aids in the unique resulting character. The palette emphasises a textural rawness and looks to the Australian landscape for inspiration as rendered walls sit harmoniously with warm timber elements, natural stone and linen drapery. The experience of the building combines a heritage focus together with a contemporary and light approach.

The palette emphasises a textural rawness and looks to the Australian landscape for inspiration and sees rendered walls sitting harmoniously with warm timber elements, natural stone and linen drapery.

Through restraint and careful insertions, the original architecture and charm of Beach House Geelong coexists in a balanced way with the new, where Studio Esteta has created a fresh and light-filled dining experience, connected to the coast.