Jabiru Lakeside Precinct Plan

Full description

Background: This Creative Work identifies a contribution in urban design for tourism in ecologically & socially sensitive environments in Australia. The Work contributes to areas of research explored by The Why Factory/Winy Maas and Felix Madrazzo/Supersudaca investigating relationships between tourism policy, ownership & urban configuration, with economic contribution of tourism to local communities in Italy & the Caribbean respectively. The project builds on this work via precinct and architectural designs for the specific conditions of an Aboriginal owned and led project within a World Heritage location in Australia.

Contribution: This work builds on earlier creative work Jabiru Masterplan published in 2018. In 2021 the researchers we re-engaged by Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corp. (GAC) to prepare developed designs for the Lakeside Precinct, and key civic buildings and landscape environments within the original masterplan. Developing the resolution of the wider masterplan strategy of reorienting the town towards its existing artificial lake, this creative work integrates environmental remediation of the lake itself, introduction of publicly accessible pathways and viewing platforms at key locations and introduction of a world heritage centre at the western end, visitor accommodation precinct to the north and community facilities along the south edge of the lake, As the key Kakadu experience arrival point, the world heritage centre and associated landscape was developed in close collaboration with the traditional owners, referencing landforms and landscape types within the wider National Park, as a platform for visitor engagement with the cultural and environmental heritage of the dual world heritage listed site.

Significance: The work was selected as a finalist in the independantly peer reviewed 2024 World Architecture Festival Awards, Future Projects – Masterplanning category. The work was also awarded a Landscape Architecture Award for Tourism and an Award of Excellence (peak award) for Cultural Heritage, in the Australian institute of Landscape Architects (AILA), 2024 National Awards. In addition to receiving an Award of Excellence for Cultural Heritage, Regional Achievement Award, Landscape Architecture Award for Tourism in the 2024 Northern Territory ALIA Awards. The work was also published via ArchitectureAU.com.au ((08/07/24) and LandscapeAustralia.com.au (25/10/24).