About the project

Immigration Place will be a nationally significant commemorative place in the heart of Australia’s National Capital, Canberra.

Immigration Place will be designed to build awareness of our migrant history and stimulate interest amongst all members of our community. It will reflect Australia’s migrant past, present and future and celebrate the continuing contribution of immigrants to Australia’s culture, values and identity.

Immigration Place will enrich our cultural landscape through its symbolic representation of the unique migrant experience in Australia. It will celebrate the vitality and diversity evident in our community and encourage compassion, acceptance and understanding. In time it is hoped it will be used for future events such as citizenship ceremonies.

A prominent site has been nominated within the Parliamentary Triangle in Canberra acknowledging the integral role of migrants in our history. This site is adjacent to the National Archives providing a lasting link with the importance of recorded history.

An exciting select design competition was launched in November 2014 to develop the vision for this space. Architects and landscape architects together with artists, engineers, artisans and curators were invited to put forward their expressions of interest to engage creatively with the site and the migrant story to design Immigration Place.

Five teams were selected to submit their proposals.  The teams were required to convey in form, design language and substance the aspirations for Immigration Place in an interpretive rather than a literal way.  All teams embraced collaboration between designers, artists and theorists, celebrating the diversity of elements relevant to the Australian migrant experience.

On 21 March 2015 the winner of the Immigration Place Select Design Ideas Competition was announced.  For more information about the winning design, please click here.