Burleigh Pavilion — Gold Coast, Australia

A Miami Vice confectionary palette laced with a heavy dose of beach subculture makes for a potent interior cocktail at the Gold Coast’s oceanside Burleigh Pavilion.
Occupying the substantially reconstructed upper floor (and reclaimed rooftop area) of an existing concrete structure, Sydney-based design practice Alexander & Co has created three integrated drinking and dining areas, occupying some 1200 sq m.
Demarcated by a rattan ceiling, The Tropic restaurant adds top brass cachet with Deco-inspired Henry Wilson wall sconces dotted around fresh mint green chairs and soft serves of butterscotch leather seating that flows onto the al fresco balcony.
The Pavilion, with crisp white-tiled window nooks providing absolute beachfront views amongst communal fairy-floss pink and pistachio tables is defined by an expanse of raised timber benches with marine blue stools offsetting the colour schemes' overall sweetness. Outdoors, the casual Beach Bar’s undulating canopy of white umbrellas imitate the surf break beyond.
Circles and rounded edges link the fluid spaces with a retro flair. The Tropic’s punchy plum terrazzo dining tables and the Beach Bar’s golden sand-flecked outdoor counters rumble with energy. Painted concrete breeze-block detailing supports service areas with a light touch, while a verdant curving masonry arbor frames the large open kitchen.
The brainchild of Sydney hotelier Ben May and developer Robert Magid, The Burleigh Pavilion works a highly sociable Med-luxe vibe with a dose of Australian ease. Guests can step straight up from the sand, shower and rack surfboards before tucking into a casual lunch of burgers and beer battered fish and chips. With premium seafood inclusions at The Tropic, its more sophisticated menu is the shore thing.
ADDRESS
43 Goodwin Terrace Burleigh Heads
Queensland
Australia
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
How to be butch: Clark Henley’s sharp, satirical and playful manual is back in print
The 1982 classic, ‘The Butch Manual: The Current Drag and How to Do It’, full of tongue-in-cheek advice, is available once again
-
Aston Martin goes goth, ramping up power, poise and dark glamour with the new Vantage S
These moody images mark the debut of the latest model out of Gaydon, the dynamically focused Aston Martin Vantage S
-
After decades capturing the world’s fashion-set, photographer Johnny Rozsa picks up a paint brush
In his first exhibition of paintings, the New York-based artist celebrates the vibrancy of Tangier while rediscovering a familiar creative outlet
-
Rediscover a classic midcentury hotel in Sydney
FK leads a major renovation of the landmark Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel, pairing 1960s modernism with an elevated, Australian-minded reset
-
Wallpaper* checks in at The Grand National Hotel by Saint Peter: ‘a lush restaurant with rooms’
In Sydney’s Paddington, chef Josh Niland opens the 14-bedroom luxury hotel alongside his pioneering restaurant
-
Book a brutalist one-room wonder Down Under, the Vipp Tunnel in Tasmania
The Danish design brand's bookable showcases arrive in the southern hemisphere, thanks to the vision of Tasmanian architectural firm Room 11
-
Wallpaper* checks in at The Eve Hotel Sydney: a lush urban escape
A new Sydney hotel makes a bold and biophilic addition to a buzzing neighbourhood that’s on the up
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Lo Scoglio: an Australian vacation rental with regenerative principles
Tucked away in Byron Bay’s hinterland, an Italian-style farmhouse presents a sustainable approach to luxury
-
Five influential women hoteliers reflect on the changing face of hospitality
As women continue to gain ground in the hotel sector, despite still being underrepresented in senior positions, five female moguls share their experiences of the past and projections for the future
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Melbourne Place: ‘an alchemy of colour, texture and personality’
Designed by Kennedy Nolan, Melbourne Place is the Australian city’s newest independent hotel, oozing creativity and urban energy
-
All aboard the world’s most luxurious train journeys
Stay on track with our pick of the most luxurious train journeys around the world, whether in 1920s-style opulence or contemporary chic