WINNING DESIGN INSPIRES THE IMAGINATION

The winner of the Immigration Place select design ideas competition was announced today – Harmony Day – setting the stage for an inspiring installation in the heart of the national capital and highlighting the day’s theme of Australian cultural diversity.

Immigration Place will be a nationally significant commemorative place in the Parliamentary Zone in Canberra. Immigration Place aspires to be a place where Australians and visitors to our country can reflect on and celebrate our migrant history and the contribution of immigrants and immigration to our nation’s community and culture. It will be a meeting place, a focus for collecting and sharing stories and a place of welcome for migrants and new citizens.

Five teams selected from a national expression of interest submitted 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.

The winning concept is the result of a collaboration between artist Callum Morton and Charlotte Day (curator); Bob Earl (Oculus – urban designer and landscape architect); Nigel Bertram (NMBW – architect); Nikos Papstergiadis (writer/thinker immigration); Paul House (Ngambri custodian); Andre Bonnice (Monash Art Projects); Peter Felicetti (structural and civil engineer) and Daniella Trimboli.

In selecting the winner, the Jury – comprised of internationally recognised eminent design professionals and chaired by Professor Kerry Clare – observed that the proposal by the Callum Morton team ‘inspired the imagination, articulated symbolism with outstanding artistic quality, and had the greatest potential for development’. ‘There is an exceptionally lyrical and powerful quality to this proposal that fascinates, provokes interest and demands exploration. The sculptural expression presented interprets and melds immigration with our indigenous history and looks forward to a progressive Australian future.

‘In the context of the migration experience, the shape evokes the oceans that were crossed, the emotional ups and downs of this transformative experience, the ripples of change that travel down the generations, and the Australian landscape’ the Jury noted in its report.

With the selection of the winning design concept, Immigration Place Australia will now work with the Callum Morton team on design development to resolve the work to the satisfaction and requirements of the National Capital Authority.

Chairman of the Board, Lieutenant General Lawrence George O’Donnell AC (Retd) welcomed the Jury’s decision.

‘It has been a long road to get to this point – not unlike many migrant journeys. We are very pleased to have achieved this outcome with a design concept that reflects the vitality and diversity of the Australian community in an enduring form.’

‘In time, we believe that Immigration Place will be a destination for all visitors to the Capital and a place for Australians to celebrate their migrant heritage.’

All shortlisted teams received $8,000 honorariums for their entries with the winning team receiving an additional $5,000 for their design.

The winning design, together with the Jury report and the other four team entries can be viewed here.

Immigration Place Australia thanks its supporters and sponsors including Hotel Hotel in New Acton who provided sponsorship of the Jury accommodation and the National Archives of Australia who hosted the presentations to the Jury.

The Board also extends its sincere thanks to the Jury for their time and valuable commitment to the significant project.