The refurbished pavilion consists of three areas, ‘The Tropic’, an all-day restaurant run by head chef Guillaume Zika, ‘The Pavilion’, a coastal brasserie serving burgers, pizzas and milkshakes, and a beach bar, a casual outdoor space where you can step straight up from the sand for a drink or snack, have a shower and rack your board off to the side. All three sections coalesce around a large open kitchen which is an expansive culinary hub with two pizza ovens and fire pit. Built within a white-washed curving masonry arbour, the design of the kitchen is a nod to the historic pavilions that once dotted up and down the coast. In fact, nostalgia is the predominant theme underpinning Burleigh Pavilion’s interior design, with Alexander & CO’s scheme abounding in retro references: from the faded pastels that channel 1980s Miami Vice to the corbeled blockwork evoking the Gold Coast beach houses of the 1970s where the Pavilion’s current owner spent his childhood holidays.

Each of the three sections has its own distinct characteristics and yet they still appear to belong together. Splashes of pink and mint green, rattan ceiling panels, tropical plants, and brass wall scones define The Tropic’s laid back, retro elegance. Simpler in detailing but larger in area, the beach bar blends the distinction between interior and exterior against expansive ocean views that stretch from the Gold Coast skyline in the north to Burleigh beach point break in the south. Pale pink splashes and tropical foliage can also be found here, along with high bar seating on the water’s edge and tiled window nooks, while pink terrazzo round tables and long communal timber tables animate the brasserie.

The Pavilion is the third project in a series of ‘low cost material fit-outs” that the practice has designed, including the renovation of the iconic Sydney LGBT venue The Imperial Hotel, which aim to reduce wastage and redundancy while also ensuring brand deployment and operational efficiency. Moreover, by employing a range of eco-friendly measures, from using renewable materials, and inert and low VOC fabrics, to taking advantage of embodied energy, the Pavilion also proves that sustainability in design and architecture is not incompatible with creativity and sophistication, just one more thing to ponder over as you sip a Pavilion Negroni (Applewood Gin, Okar Amaro and Regal Rogue Vermouth) while watching the waves breaking on the beach.