Kaurna
South Australia
Yitpi Yartapuultiku (‘The Soul of Port Adelaide’) is an Aboriginal-led Cultural Destination on the Port River that champions Reconciliation, Cultural Practice, Learning, Shared Healing, Ecological Revitalisation, and Sustainability.Â
Local Elders and Custodians were at the centre of an exemplary participatory design process, cultural direction requiring a high degree of interior openness, adaptability and connection with the outdoors to reflect the way Aboriginal culture is shared – through gathering, storytelling, learning and connection to Country. Â
The interior design at Yitpi Yartapuultiku is a sustainable, culturally immersive, and warm space designed to "bring the outdoors in," acting as a "living cultural landscape" that fosters healing. It features Kaurna-inspired colors, natural materials, and adaptive spaces that merge to create a creating a dynamic, inclusive, culturally safe, and welcoming community environment.
The design enables us to operate as a living cultural centre rather than a static building. It supports the way Aboriginal culture is shared—through gathering, storytelling, learning and connection to Country—while remaining welcoming to the wider community. Flexible indoor and outdoor spaces allow us to deliver education programs, exhibitions, ranger activities and community events year-round. The integration of landscape, water, and built form reflects cultural values and environmental care, improving how we work with partners, host visitors and create meaningful experiences that are grounded in place, culture and community. (Lee-Ann Tjunypa Buckskin, Manager)
Ashley Halliday, Design Architect
Rupert Lindon, Design Architect
Nicole Weckert, Interior Designer
Robert Valente, Project Architect
Melissa Walker, Graduate of Architecture
Matthew Stevenson, Graduate of Architecture
Alix Dunbar, Graduate of Architecture
PT Design, Structural Engineer
Lucid Consulting Engineers, Services Consultant
Brave and Curious, First Nations Consultant
Resonate, Acoustic Consultant
Cirqa, Traffic Engineer
RLB, Cost Consultant
Hatch, Coastal Engineer
BuildSurv, Building Surveyor
WAX Design, Landscape Consultant
Adjadura Art, Artist
Exhibition Studios, Signage and Wayfinding
WSP, Environmental Engineer
Succession Ecology, Revegetation and Ecological Consulting
Moto Projects, Project Manager