Hunt Architects has created a “floating” concept design for an Indigenous knowledge centre in a remote abandoned town in the Pilbara region, north of Perth.
The proposed Bajinhurrba Knowledge Centre in Cossack, designed for the Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation, borrows inspiration from the red earth, textured landscape and organic geometry of the region.
The architects propose a “warm, earthy palette” of natural timber, rammed earth and weathered steel finish to integrate the centre seamlessly into its location. The undulating roofline is designed to make the centre appear as if it were floating, while the soft geometry helps it to sink into the landscape.
“Our ambition was to create a canvas that could be manipulated and transformed to embody the stories of the Ngarluma Yindjibarndi peoples,” said Alex Godfrey, a graduate of architecture at Hunt Architects. “The open and fluid geometry aims to connect the architecture and its users with key parts of the surrounding landscape.”
The exterior is made from a weathered, naturally rusted Corten steel finish.
Image: Hunt Architects
Cossack has deep ties to the local First Nations people, and it later became the birthplace of the Australian pearl fishing industry after it was colonized in the late 1880s, when the Indigenous population was enslaved and forced to become pearl divers. The local municipality was later dissolved in the early 20th century and the town has been abandoned since the 1950s. In December 2020, the WA government selected he Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation to redevelop the ghost town into a tourism destination.
The knowledge centre was commissioned by the Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation with a brief was to create a unique place that would give life to the stories of Cossack and Bajinhurrba.
Hunt Architects had previously completed projects in the Pilbara and the practice was selected by the local council for the concept design. The low impact, ecotourism precinct is intended to serve as a cultural and economic activation tool for Cossack, and as a living repository for Ngarluma memory and stories.
The concept design includes a museum of Indigenous artefacts, a natural playground based on Ngarluma dreaming stories, and a native garden designed with a series of gathering points.
The space is designed to nurture engagement with the stories of the region through art, events, exhibitions and play.
The rammed earth walls create a ‘safe’ repository for indigenous artefacts and stories.
Image: Hunt Architects
“The rammed earth wall provides a solid and safe place for the functions of the Knowledge Centre, including displaying significant artefacts of the Ngarluma People,” the design concept reads.
The designs for the Bajinhurrba Knowledge Centre are a stark contrast to the existing colonial-style museum nearby, from which the Indigenous artefacts to be housed in the new centre will be retrieved.
“The intention was to provide a design that juxtaposed the existing museum, to showcase what possibilities exist to create a type of architecture that better connects to country and Ngarluma Yindjibarndi culture,” said Godfrey.
“Through this type of architecture, we hope the stories of the area can be told through the correct lens, and the visitors to the site experience the architecture as a key part of this journey.”
A community consultation period is expected to start within months, after which budget and construction schedule can be decided.
