Galkangu | Lyons

Galkangu, Bendigo’s GovHub contributes to the sustainable growth of Bendigo – consolidating the City of Bendigo and other regional state government agencies (such as Regional Development Victoria, Parks Victoria, and Vic Roads) in a contemporary and adaptable workplace and a ‘one-stop’ community service centre. The design features a mass timber structure, notable for its use of sustainably-sourced timber from regional Victoria – and demonstrating the government’s commitment to support local industries. Galkangu is enriched by a deep engagement with the traditional owner group, Dja Dja Wurrung.
The architectural form is a four-storey ‘perimeter block’ – acknowledging Bendigo’s historic urban morphology of ‘building to the boundary’ – creating very large flexible floorplates of approximately 5000m2 each, surrounding a central open courtyard. The design also makes well scaled open public space to the street – with carefully designed ‘deep-impressions’ in the perimeter form, generated by relationships with adjacent landmarks. For instance, the perimeter form ‘sets back’ from the Bendigo Town Hall to reveal a main stair and large meeting rooms on approach to the main entrance.
These façade impressions have become a site for a public artwork titled Murrupuk Art by Dja Dja Wurrung, Yorta Yorta and Jaru artist Natasha Carter, embedded in an environmental shading frit. The arrival forecourt features a ‘welcome’ sculpture titled Ngurare Beng Marna (Important, Big Meeting) by artist Rebecca Phillips, Djaara Woman, trading as Dja Yingila.
The public foyer serves as a multipurpose hub for public engagement, meetings, and work. The skylit ‘one stop’ Service Centre is a highly accessible public space for the seamless delivery of government services to the Bendigo municipality. Galkangu provides an array of event and meeting spaces, designed to maximise utility. Large multipurpose conference rooms, foyer exhibition spaces, and highly adaptable meeting rooms are located to optimise public engagement and workplace collaboration.
The vertically connected workspace provides a wide range of shared and flexible meeting rooms for all tenants via a main open staircase spanning the entire height of the building – providing views to the town hall and city beyond. A significant focal point of the design is the large central Staff Hub, spanning three levels across the two central courtyards.
The flexible workplace design accommodates a variety of local or state government departments with minimal customisation for special requirements. Informal meeting and working spaces are strategically placed throughout, and a variety of small and medium-sized meeting rooms are available for use by all tenants, also conveniently located near the workplace foyer area to optimise public use when unoccupied by the workforce.
The use of mass structural timber throughout comes with a unique set of challenges to navigate the curves and complex angles of the building. In addition to the innovative use of timber, the design integrates a range of sustainable features. An underfloor low-velocity air system provides a healthy comfortable work environment. Solar panels harness renewable energy. The project was designed to a catalyst for greater use of renewable building materials and energy and now demonstrates these positive environmental and wellbeing outcomes.