Old Yacht Club | Elliott Architects

An abandoned Yacht Club, poised at the edge of the bay, sat derelict for years, all while bearing witness to the relentless coastal climate of Maine. Built in 1919, it endured a series of interventions after the Club relocated in 1946. It would require the right temperament and commitment to restore its historical memory while modernizing the early 20th-century structure.

After the foundation was reinforced and repointed, a new wood and steel superstructure was erected above. Inside this shell, the Club Room was rebuilt, replete with its accompanying chimney. Two large moves helped transform it into a residence while paying homage to its past. In both instances old and new are distinct. The replacement of a corner of the Club Room with large sliding glass panels coupled with the addition of two glass dormers transformed the otherwise lightless building into a two-way receptacle for light. While admitting sunlight deep into the house throughout the day, at night it is a luminous beacon on the coast, a reminder of memory restored.