Terroir has been appointed principal architect for a new visitor centre at Phillip Island’s nature park, Penguin Parade.

The architecture, urban planning and creative research firm was awarded the brief for the $58 million development by joint-funder the Victorian government who cited the firm’s experience in regional architecture as key to its decision.

The project will see the replacement of the old visitor centre and also involve the restoration of 6.7 hectares of habitat for the local resident, the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor).

Terroir will now commence an extensive consultative process with Phillip Island Nature Parks to ensure that the new visitor centre will provide the best facilities for the Penguin Parade for the future.

The Phillip Island Penguin Parade is one of Victoria’s most popular tourist attractions, currently attracting 600,000 visitors a year. This number is set to increase by more than 20 per cent over the next decade.

The visitor centre is due to open in late 2019.