Significant construction cost increases to make Adelaide’s Tarrkarri – Centre for First Nations Cultures a reality have seen the South Australian Government launch a review of the Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Woods Bagot-designed project.

Located on the former Royal Adelaide Hospital site, the project has been in the works since 2018. The space will showcase the past, present and future of Aboriginal cultures while supporting contemporary art practices and events across disciplines. $200 million was allocated towards the project from both state and federal governments in 2020, but total cost is now estimated at around $250 million.

SA Premier Peter Malinauskas says the current budget of $200 million will only deliver a state significant centre, as opposed to an internationally renowned institution.

"A centre celebrating the longest continuous culture on earth, celebrating 60,000 years of history, situated within one of Adelaide's most significant locations, must do justice to the cultures that it seeks to represent. In that context, good isn't good enough," he says.

tarrkarri renders

"South Australia's First Nations cultural centre should be truly magnificent."

The Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Woods Bagot design spans 11,500 sqm, with the structure intrinsically linked to earth, land and sky. Galleries and terraced landscapes are carved from the earth, with a range of exhibition and performance spaces located both internally and externally. The ground plane is oriented towards the Adelaide Botanic Garden and connects to the site in all directions.

The facade channels the temporary shelter structures created by Aboriginal peoples, with a basket-like nest of columns which frame the central space and act as an anchor.

“We’re thrilled to be part of this ground-breaking vision to create a place of pride that authentically honours the oldest living cultures on the planet,” says DS+R Partner Charles Renfro.

“This first-of-its-kind project has taken on a new life with our continued collaboration with the Aboriginal community and other stakeholder groups, as well as our Australian design partner Woods Bagot.

tarrkarri renders

“Tarrkarri will welcome visitors through a radically open ground floor, into a safe space with storytelling at its heart. It will be a building of the 21st century, while remaining agile enough to allow future generations to evolve their own storytelling.”

The independent review of the project’s costs will be completed by April 2024. The project was originally planned to reach completion in 2025. For more information, visit lotfourteen.com.au/projects/tarrkarri.

Jarrod Reedie

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