Mirndiyan Gununa Art Centre

Project 01

ARCH3100 Clients + Culture, Academic (Individual)

Gununa, Mornington Island

For Mirndiyan Gununa Aboriginal Corporation + The Lardil People [traditional owners]

Cultural Art Centre Proposal

“The isolated Gununa region remains one of the most pristine anywhere, featuring internationally renowned art works and rich cultural heritage” This proposal is designed to suit the functional needs of a diverse range of users - artists, artifact makers, dancers, children, and also tourists.

Art centres are at the heart of Australia’s emerging Indigenous fine arts sector. They facilitate the communication of Indigenous Australians’ creative work both nationally and internationally. The Mirndiyan Gununa Art Centre is vital in generating economic returns to the artists and communities. This proposal is free of superficial cultural symbolism in its design - the building instead acts as an extension of the artist’s canvas. It is a place that will become uniquely theirs through the painting of murals, and integration of light projection on fair rammed-earth walls.

The art centre borders the Gununa airport. It therefore acts as a focal meeting place for both visitors and locals. The gallery, store and dance amphitheatre present themselves upon arrival for tourists. The local community also have access to an Indigenous knowledge centre, a children’s cultural learning room, personal artefact storage, maker’s workshop and social spaces. For cultural reasons, and as outlined in the brief, men and women have seperate painting studios - both circulation and studio sight lines are designed to avoid unwanted interaction between the artists.