Strangford Lough Yacht Club

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively large two storey yacht club in the in the modern International Style, built to designs by Philip Bell in 1936 and added to in more recent times. The club is set on the N edge of a small ‘headland’ on the W coast of Strangford Lough(within Whiterock Bay), over a mile W of Killinchy. Originally the building was set partly on the edge of the headland and partly at a lower level, thus at certain angles the building appeared to be rising out of the sea, however the reclamation of land (for dingy parks) on both the N and E sides has largely ‘beached’ the building and taken away from its impact.

The building is roughly ‘L’ shaped with a flat roof and finished in rough cast render with a rusticated concrete base. The windows are of varying shape with PVC frames. Originally the building was roughly rectangular in plan with a large single storey curved bay to the S on the E facade, looking seaward. This bay was later increased by Bell to two storeys. A large two storey section was also later added to the NW, thus giving the building its present plan.

The window openings have been altered at various points also and the PVC frames are obviously recent (they were probably originally metal), as are the doors.

All of these changes have detracted from the original sturdy ‘sea-borne’ cube form of the club and have ultimately rendered it quite ordinary.

The building is to be completely demolished soon and an entirely new club built in place

Historical information

This club house was built in 1936 to designs by Philip Bell. It was constructed on the general site of an earlier timber club house which burnt down in 1935. Building work had to take place at low tide. Bell later added a second storey to the curved bay on the E facade and a large two storey extension was added to the north end (?also by Bell). Over the years the land around the building has been reclaimed and concreted. This building is to be completely demolished soon (late 1998) and a new club erected on the site to designs by Rachel Bevan.

References- Primary sources
1 'Irish Builder and Engineer' 6 August 1938, p.647.
2 'The Builder' 14 February 1941, pp.180-181.

Secondary sources
1 'RSUA Yearbook 1983', pp.20-23. [Obituary of Philip Bell.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Two storey International Style yacht club house built in 1936 to designs by Philip Bell. A second storey was later added by Bell to the curved bay on the E facade, and a two storey wing built to the north end. As well as this the window openings have been altered and PVC frames installed, but the greatest impact to this building’s appearance has probably been the reclamation of the land to the north and E which effectively ‘beached’ a building which once dramatically rose cube-like from the sea.