The project aimed to create a fresh, iconic spatial experience for the community. Reflecting its coastal location and aquatic sports venue, function the design was inspired by the concept of a seashell resting on a shore. A double-layer PTFE tensioned membrane was stretched over a light-weight long-span steel truss system to shape its organic and aerodynamic profile.

This tensile membrane becomes a sustainable building envelope which allows daylight to infiltrate the interior. Its high-albedo nature and low thermal transmission value creates the indoor thermal comfort that is crucial to a naturally-ventilated building in a sub-tropical climate. The Complex’s sustainable design elements continue at the perimeter of the indoor pool, where four metre-high transparent roller shutters lie alongside the poolside at deck level, allowing the prevailing wind to waft across the pool.