The federal and South Australian governments have released concept designs for a proposed Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre designed by Woods Bagot and Diller Scofidio and Renfro.
The long-mooted centre will be built on Kaurna land at Lot Fourteen, the site of the former Royal Adelaide Hospital, which is undergoing urban regeneration.
The architects have worked directly with the AACC Aboriginal Reference Group on the design.
David Rathman, AACC Ambassador, said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for Aboriginal people to have ownership and leadership of what will become one of the state’s leading tourism attractions and to be active participants in that venture through business and career opportunities. There is a lot of excitement for this centre.”
“It has to be a centre they will all be proud of as a place to present their cultures to the world. “The building has to reach out to you, to make you want to come inside and to come back.”
Woods Bagot principal Rosina Di Maria added, “The design team’s role was to listen, and translate the aspirations and ambitions of the ARG into a design response. The architecture evokes a sense of welcome to all visitors – particularly First Nations peoples – and a connection to culture offered through the human experience.
“The Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre will be a place for all Australians to remember ourselves, to learn the truth telling of our past, and to re-imagine ourselves together to create new memories as a connected community. It will be a platform for developing Australian culture – informed by the past, shaped by the now, for our future.”
The proposed Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre designed by Woods Bagot and Diller Scofidio and Renfro.
Image: courtesy Woods Bagot
The design for the centre originates from Aboriginal concepts of earth, sky and land elements.
The lower level galleries and terraced landscapes will be “carved from earth” with indoor spaces for exhibitions and performances and an outdoor amphitheatre which will be used as a gathering space for Welcome to Country ceremonies.
The upper level galleries will frame views to the sky and natural surroundings.
In between, the ground level areas will extend out to the land in all directions, connecting the building to Kaingka Wirra (Adelaide Botanic Gardens).
“The AACC will welcome visitors through a radically open ground floor, into a safe space with storytelling at its heart,” said DSR partner Charles Renfro. “It will be a building of the 21st century, while remaining agile enough to allow future generations to evolve their own storytelling.”
The ground plane will also include 8,100 square metres of public realm with a native landscape that will gently slope towards North Terrace.
The design of the buildings facade draws inspiration from temporary shelters created by Aboriginal peoples that are known by various names such as “wurlie” and “humpy.” A basket-like nest of columns will shape the central space, which will then be clad in a woven skin that will tilt open.
Woods Bagot and DSR will continue to develop detailed designs over the next 12 months. Construction on the project is expected to begin later in 2021.
The federal government is contributing $85 million to the project through the Adelaide City Deal and the state government will provide $115 million.
Woods Bagot and DSR originally collaborated on a competition-winning proposal for Adelaide Contemporary, a gallery proposal for the same site initiated by the previous state government. Following the election in March 2018, the incoming government announced plans for a National Gallery of Aboriginal Art and Cultures.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
