Set on the water-front promenade in Portobello, Edinburgh, our proposal is for a low-impact civic structure that supports year-round access to the beach. Recalling the town’s history of potteries, kilns and reuse, from the spolia of Portobello Tower to the Coade Stone Columns, the new pavilion is built from salvaged brick, reclaimed stone and timber.

Instead of demolishing a well-used but degraded public toilet block, we refresh and extend it, adding showers, changing rooms and renewable energy systems directly connected to the existing services. Alongside this, a landmark pavilion building anchors the promenade with community infrastructure: a permanent home for a local sauna, combined with a café and lending library. Together they generate income to support the WCs and ensure equitable access to the seafront.

The sauna offers a restorative retreat with estuary views, while a sheltered yard provides outdoor seating, showers and plunge baths. Inside the vaulted café, borrowing wares and curious beach finds are displayed openly, encouraging reuse and reducing waste. An overhanging roof captures rainwater, provides shade and shelter, and integrates photovoltaics, solar thermal and potential micro-wind power.

The wider site is left open as a resilient, biodiverse garden — preserving views, creating habitat, and extending the crafted language of reuse through recycling points and public amenities. Together, the proposals are a form of spolia for a sustainable future in Portobello: civic infrastructure that minimises waste, builds climate resilience, and captures the joy of a day out at the beach.