Design king Desmond Brooks wants nightclubs out of Surfers Paradise

THE man behind the design of many of the city’s landmark buildings says it is time for the Gold Coast’s famous nightclubs to be kicked out of Surfers Paradise. And he just a new home in mind for them.

Gold Coast Business Hall of Fame inductee, architect Desmond Brooks, at Palazzo Versace, one of his proudest achievements. Picture: Mike Batterham

THE man behind the design of many of the city’s landmark buildings — Palazzo Versace, Sheraton Grand Mirage, Soul and others — wants to see nightclubs in Surfers Paradise banished to Bundall.

Architect Desmond Brooks, who on Saturday night became the 11th inductee into the Gold Coast Business Hall of Fame — said this was the way to improve the city’s reputation and move beyond its image as a “trashy” place to visit.

Pauline and Des Brooks Picture: Regina King.

“I don’t know any city in the world that gives the heart of the city to the lowest common denominator,” he said yesterday while sporting his customary all-white suit in the lobby of Palazzo Versace.

“Trash nightclubs, filthy nightclubs ... the heart of our city is Orchid Ave and it is full of all those sleaze joints.”

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Desmond Brooks with his award Picture Mike Batterham

Mr Brooks, who at 86 is yet to consider retirement, said the nightclubs were necessary for the Gold Coast as part of its attraction to tourists.

“However, they should all be on Upton St in Bundall and away from where families want to go. My wife Pauline and I don’t go into Surfers Paradise. We used to go all the time. There were some beautiful restaurants there.”

You’d get to a lot less of this in Surfers Paradise if Mr Brooks had his way.

Mr Brooks said Surfers Paradise needed more class including luxury stores and family-friendly restaurants. He said, in its current state, the Glitter Strip was a turn-off, especially for well-heeled international travellers.

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“Can you imagine staying at the ritzy Hilton and you come out and walk on to Orchid Ave. You’ve just come from New York, you’ve had dinner and you come out and people are urinating in the street. It is shocking.”

Desmond Brooks. Picture Mike Batterham

Mr Brooks, whose portfolio of work also includes Royal Pines Resort and The Wave, came to the Gold Coast in the early 1980s just ahead of a building boom in the mid-to-late 1980s. He said the design of Palazzo Versace — the first Versace hotel in the world — was one of his proudest achievements.

“We introduced the Versace element as a gimmick. It was to have a bit of fun. But it was a coup for Australia to have the first Versace hotel.”

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