Location: Marion, South Australia
Country: Australia
Awards: 2003 Royal Australian Institute of Architects South Australian COLORBOND® steel Award of Merit
Aboriginal legend and the design flexibility of steel have combined to create an award winning cultural centre for the indigenous Kaurna people of the Adelaide plains.
The Living Kaurna Cultural Centre at Marion is the culmination of an ambitious project conceived in 1992 to celebrate Kaurna culture and promote the process of reconciliation between Aboriginals and non-indigenous people.
The building's architectural design has earned Phillips Pilkington Architects and Habitable Places the 2003 Royal Australian Institute of Architects South Australian COLORBOND® steel Award of Merit.
The architects collaborated with representatives of the Kaurna people to create a building which embodies and symbolises the story of Tjirbruke, a Kaurna hunter and ancestral spirit.
The Tjirbruke dreaming trail involves a series of springs along the eastern coast of St Vincent's Gulf which provided the Kaurna people with a source of water. The Kaurna story has the springs being formed by the tears of Tjirbruke, mourning the death of his nephew.
Tjirbruke departed Rosetta Head in the form of a Glossy Ibis, with the wingspan of the Glossy Ibis providing the inspiration for the shape of the roof and ceilings in the building.
The 'winged' corrugated steel roof is supported by cleverly designed curved and tapered steel trusses, with a central boxed steel truss column representing the body.
The 'wings' hover clear of the walls and deliver water into a central box gutter which in turn cascades into a well, evoking the creation of the life supporting springs which are the legacy of Tjirbruke to the Kaurna people.
Susan Phillips of Phillips Pilkington Architects said the characteristics and design flexibility of steel enabled the building to provide a strong visual bridge to the culture of the Kaurna people.
"The lightness and elegance of this structure has been achieved through the strength and tensile qualities of steel," Susan Phillips said.
The 2003 RAIA South Australian Awards jury panel commended the design as a simple, light and economical structure richly deserving of the 2003 RAIA SA COLORBOND® steel Award.
The Centre's activities now offer a unique living cultural experience for better understanding of Aboriginal and non-indigenous heritage and culture for tourists and the wider community.
The Living Kaurna Cultural Centre is located at 9 Laffer Drive, Bedford Park.
