From humble beginnings in 1964, the Warilla Bowls & Recreation Club has grown to one of the largest Bowling Clubs in Australia. This year the club is celebrating it fifty year birthday.

Located in the beautiful Shellharbour region, 1.5 hours south of Sydney, the clubs sits on headland adjoining Barrack Point. The club boast an extensive offering to its 20,000 plus strong membership, with indoor and outdoor bowling greens, reception centre , cabin accommodation, gymnasium and fitness centre and much more. With a history based on expansion and growth the club has now embarked on its next stage in development with the first stage of their future master plan being completed in December of last year.

The current renovations included a platinum Plus Tab, new main Lounge and Red Sands Bar and Grill, Cowries Café as well as upgrade to the entry foyer and gaming.

With the stage 1 of the master plan being limited to the interior footprint of the club the design team had to overcome the usual challenges.

* How to replan the space to create seamless flow between the areas that is efficient and user friendly.

* To open up a largely interior space to feel natural and welcoming as connected to its natural environment at least in spirit.

* To create an ambient club that would offer a welcoming environment to the diverse demographic of its membership.

With inspiration from the business model of the club which aims to be a destination resort/club, Bergstrom developed an aesthetic that is based on the tropical resort model. Luxurious, rich, organic, natural finishes and tactile textures.

When researching the design concepts Bergstrom based some of their design features on the lotus flower which not only conjures images of a tropical resort but is a Buddhist symbol of fortune. Thus the first thing that greets you when you enter the club is the vertical lotus pond feature. Impressive in scale the water feature dominates the visual impact of the foyer, with a causal seating area in-front ( by KEZU) and gaming lounge behind. The motif of the lotus flower is also reflected in the custom designed carpets by Brintons.