Our design studio recently took part in a competition to design the Outback Museum of Charleville as part of the  amazing collaborative team (listed below). 

Our scheme seeks to create a (re)connection to the land through the identification and permeation of three inherent transects of significance to the region and this location.

A 1000km transect beginning at Charleville where the edge of semiarid land extends across channel country through Astrebla downs to the vast Simpson Desert. Another connects the artesian pond below ground to the sky. The third is about time, education, our long past and our vast future.

These transects were expressed in the planning arrangement where promonsent circulation routes notionally stretched out to distant land. A series of sculptural framed views draws visitors through the scheme, with galleries, ponds and skylights creating a vast variety of spaces at key moments within the plan and wider context.

Environmentally the scheme draws inspiration both from the (clever) Bilbies who burrow into the land to keep cool and from the local mulga species whose shady branches cool the ground beneath. Earth is mounded up along rammed earth walls to create passively cooled gallery spaces and submerged courtyards with views to the stars. A large solar array overhead creates a shaded gathering space which provides relief and helps orient visitors within the wider landscape.

Although our entry wasn’t successful this time round (Congrats to March Studio!) the team had such a fun time dreaming this up and we can’t wait for the next.
Clever Bilbies. 

Our team
Jim Gall
Deicke Richards
Five Mile Radius 
Built Environment Collective (BEC)
Goldi Design
Bree Industries