The Challenge
The Bondi Boot Factory project involved the adaptive re-use of a heritage-listed Victorian-era industrial building, transforming it into a contemporary community and innovation hub for Waverley Council.
The skylight solution needed to:
- Introduce generous natural daylight into newly reconstructed internal spaces while respecting the building’s heritage significance.
- Integrate seamlessly into a fully rebuilt roof structure on a heritage asset.
- Meet modern performance requirements for a public building, including durability, safety, and energy efficiency.
- Coordinate with a complex, multi-disciplinary consultant team across heritage, fire engineering, access, and BCA compliance.
Any intervention had to be carefully detailed to ensure the skylight enhanced the building without compromising its historical character.
The Solution
Skyspan designed and supplied a bespoke flat glass roof skylight, engineered specifically for the constraints of a heritage adaptive re-use project.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Custom Flat Glass Roof Skylight measuring 2440 × 3795mm, purpose-built for the roof opening.
- Fully welded structural glazing frame constructed from RHS aluminium for long-term strength and stability.
- Double-glazed heat-strengthened laminate glazing.
- Powder-coated aluminium frame and SLGR50 glazing suite, colour-matched to the surrounding roof finishes.
The skylight was carefully detailed to work within the broader heritage and construction strategy, while delivering modern daylight performance.
The Outcome
The completed skylight now forms a central architectural feature within the renewed Bondi Boot Factory, bringing natural light deep into the interior and enhancing the usability of the flexible community spaces below.
By combining contemporary glazing technology with sensitive detailing, the skylight supports the building’s transformation into a future-ready civic asset—while preserving and extending the life of one of Bondi Junction’s most significant heritage structures.
The project demonstrates Skyspan’s capability to deliver high-performance, custom skylight solutions for heritage and adaptive re-use projects, where architectural sensitivity, compliance, and durability are critical.
