Tuesday 15 December 2009

Brambuk





whenever I visit the Grampians, or Gariwerd, its aboriginal name,
a sculptural mountain rock formation in Victoria, Australia
I am sure to call in at Brambuk,
the Aaboriginal cultural centre

The architect, Greg Burgess, in consultation with the local aboriginal communities,
designed and built it in the 1980s
It withstood the test of time and is a building of great inspiration
filled with symbolic detail.

for instance:
it is shaped in the form of a cockatoo with outstretched wings
as if sheltering its eggs or young
It is made up of five circles which represent the five aboriginal communities
The stonework in the building represents the stone houses and the fish-traps of the area
The poles which hold up the building represent the Framlingham forest nearby
the spiral ramp leading up to the second floor represents the eel dreaming

It excited and inspired me the first time I saw it and it continues to do so

"When a good idea gets out things begin to happen"

5 comments:

  1. what an amazing building. thanks for sharing the joy you take from it. it is sited so naturally and authentically on that hillock that it seems to almost disappear into the landscape. oh, i'd love to see it up close and personal.....

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  2. lovely to read about the aboriginal meanings in the architectural design-- after reading I went back and 'saw' everything with new eyes--really does look like a bird spreading its wings

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  3. tis indeed a beautiful building
    and your photographs are lovely

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  4. Fantastic - Thanks for sharing!

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  5. mooi!
    Thanks for sharing this beautiful pictures.

    love
    yvette

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