New York’s Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) and Australian architect Woods Bagot have revealed their design for an Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre (AACC) in Adelaide, South Australia.
Located on the land of the Kaurna people, the 11,500 sq m development will showcase the "past, present and future of Aboriginal cultures" according to DS+R.
The project’s design incorporates "elements of earth, land and sky" across 7,000 sq m of exhibition space, with lower galleries and terraces carved into the earth, upper galleries oriented towards the sky and an outdoor amphitheatre with a dedicated space for traditional ceremonies.
The facade is inspired by temporary shelters created by Aboriginal peoples across Australia known as "wurlies" and "humpies".
Rosina Di Maria, Woods Bagot’s principal, said: "Our role is 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 AACC will be a place for all Australians to remember ourselves, to learn the truth telling of our past, and to reimagine ourselves together to create new memories as a connected community."
Charles Renfro, a DS+R partner, said: "The AACC will welcome visitors through a radically open ground floor into a safe space with storytelling at its heart. It will be a building of the 21st century, while remaining agile enough to allow future generations to evolve their own storytelling."
The AACC is due to be completed in 2025.
Images courtesy of DS+ R and Woods Bagot
