26/11/2024
On the eve of the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Councils 40th Anniversary we were honoured to receive two Awards for Public Architecture and Steel Architecture at the 2025 AIA Newcastle Architecture Awards
Jury Citation: Murrook, a place to share and practice Worimi culture, is a testament to the deep collaboration between architect and client, the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council. Staged works have rehabilitated a former amusement park, with extensive adaptive reuse of existing structures demonstrating the project’s sustainability approach while optimising its modest budget. The masterplan skillfully weaves together a series of existing buildings through new connections and insertions that link Murrook’s diverse functions and social enterprises.
Stories of Country and community are subtly embedded throughout the project, such as in the careful subtraction of existing fabric around culturally sensitive Bilburribith (Melaleuca) trees, allowing them room to breathe. A simple fly-roof and continuous awning create a cohesive new frontage, lined with patterned panels that graphically translate Worimi language. The material palette, reflecting the local area, features rough-cut timber and rammed earth oxides from Country, grounding the architecture in its cultural and environmental context.
Murrook | Traditional Owners: The Worimi People
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