Salvaged timber from the Black Summer bushfires of 2019 will be utilised by Akimbo Architecture to create Albury’s third Summer Place pavilion, that will ‘bridge the divide’ between the town’s QEII Square and its river landscape.

Built on Wiradjuri Country, the ephemeral pavilion will be built for the first time by a local practice, and is titled ‘See The Forest’. 

The structure is likened to a container, with its slight curves composed of large, locally harvested live edge timber slabs. Positioned vertically to maintain their connection to the forest, the pavilion aims to evoke thoughts from onlookers about the local environment, sustainability and to celebrate summer within the region. 

Akimbo Architecture Director, Carly Martin, says the timber carries an innate connection to Indigenous cultures of centuries past.

“The trees may be anywhere up to 1000 years old, linking ancient Indigenous landscape to the present,” a post on Akimbo’s Instagram page reads. 

“These mighty trees have given wood for campfires, bark to craft canoes, and burls and roots for shaping water vessels. These trees are part of an ongoing narrative of place, time and experience.”

The black curved form juxtaposes the orthogonal geometry of Albury’s QEII, disrupting and creating a point of gravity within the space.

“The dynamic yet enigmatic exterior rewards curiosity, and as the viewer approaches the warm tones of the vertical timber slabs are revealed. Within the pavilion, each timber slab is unique, inviting close examination of these natural artworks,” says the post.

“For a moment, the viewer is transported away from QEII, and the only experiences are that of the tall ‘forest’ of timbers – the smell and the touch.”

Akimbo Architecture was founded by Martin in Albury in 2019. The practice believes in creating architecture that enhances the human experience, and should complement the environment and have a quality that endures. The ‘See The Forest’ structure is certainly no stranger to this notion. 

The City of Albury’s Summer Place pavilion series has been running since 2018. It’s inaugural pavilion was created by Raffaello Rosselli Architect, titled Plastic Palace.

Picture: Instagram