Clayton Sports Club Canopy
Project Details
Location: Clayton South, VIC
Completion Date: April 2026
Size: 48m x 41m (1933sqm)
Fabric: PTFE - Chukoh FGT600 & PVC Mesh - Serge Ferrari Frontside View 381
Client: Clayton Sports Club
Photography: © Grant Kennedy (We Shoot Buildings) / MakMax Australia
The Clayton Sports Club Canopy (known locally as the Cobra Dome) has given Clayton Sports Club a fully covered green, turning what used to be weather dependent play into something that can run all year round.
At 48m x 41m, the Clayton Sports Club Canopy is a large PTFE tensile membrane bowls club dome designed and delivered by MakMax Australia in collaboration with the club. It sits over the full green, creating a true all-weather lawn bowls roof that keeps play going in sun, rain, and everything in between.
The Brief
The club’s main goal for the Clayton Sports Club Canopy was simple, keep bowls rolling as much as possible, without the weather calling the shots.
The site sits in a quiet residential pocket, so the design needed to do more than just cover the green. It had to feel right in the neighbourhood too. That led to a lower-profile arch design that keeps the structure sitting visually lighter, rather than dominating the street.
Neighbours were also a key consideration. To help with that, the bowls club dome includes a vertical infill panel in the end arch to limit light spill at night and cut down on noise from the canopy.
One of the more distinctive parts of the Clayton Sports Club Canopy is the extended curved rafter that reaches out towards the clubhouse. In simple terms, it means members can move between the clubhouse verandah and the green without getting soaked, while still keeping the open sightlines into the green from the beer garden social area between the restaurant and the green.
The Materials
The roof of the Clayton Sports Club Canopy has been designed for maximin longevity, making use of Chukoh FGT600 PTFE membrane. PTFE membranes are commonly used in large tensile membrane canopy applications due to their long service life, high tensile strength, and good light transmission properties compared to many conventional alternatives. The translucency of the PTFE fabric allows for even, diffused daylight across the playing surface, reducing harsh shadows while maintaining natural illumination throughout the day.
At the far end of the structure, a vertical PVC mesh infill panel allows airflow through the canopy on hot days, while also providing additional protection from wind-driven rain and low-winter sun.
The Result
The Clayton Sports Club Canopy opened in April 2026 and immediately changed how the club uses its green.
With around 1,900 square metres now fully covered, the club has a reliable playing surface that doesn’t shut down when the weather turns. That alone has made it easier to schedule games, attract new members, and keep regulars playing more often.
As a bowls club dome, it’s also helped the club become a more active social hub, with play and clubhouse activity now working together rather than being split by weather or seasons.
