COMMUNITY
Wilcannia NSW, Australia
Baaka Cultural Centre: Co-Design
COMMUNITY
Wilcannia NSW, Australia
Baaka Cultural Centre: Co-Design
Project Team
David Kaunitz
Marni Reti
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Baaka Cultural Centre by Kaunitz Yeung Architecture revitalises a former general store in Wilcannia into a community-led cultural hub with gallery, language spaces, keeping place and tourism facilities, celebrating Barkandji heritage and shared history.
Overview
The Baaka Cultural Centre reimagines the former Knox & Downs store on Barkandji Country as place for culture, learning, enterprise and exchange.
It enables inclusivity through expanded learning programs – creating pathways to technical, creative and tertiary education. Nurtures dignified local work, micro-enterprises and cultural tourism by safeguarding heritage fabric and strengthening a resilient town centre. The project prioritises adaptive reuse, material stewardship and climate-responsive design. Participatory governance allows for inclusive decision-making led by community. Above all, Baaka is a respectful platform to support the self-determined future’s of Barkindji people, celebrating living culture and their connection to the Baaka River, stories and place.
Since 2021 the Australian National Standard of Competency for Architects (NSCA) requires that First Nations knowledge be included in architectural education, and that Indigenous perspectives, understanding of Country, and ethical engagement are embedded into the curriculum.
Institution
University of Sydney
Architecture, Design & Planning
Masters of Arcihtecture
Community Organization
Kaunitz Yeung Architecture — Sydney, Australia
https://kaunitzyeung.com
Additional Team Members
David Kaunitz, Associate Professor
Community Engagement
Co-designed with Elders and community, the project unites a keeping place, gallery, language nest, workshops and gathering spaces, shaped through nearly three years of iterative consultation with Barkindji people and the broader Wilcannia community.
Partners
Baaka Corporation, NSW Government, Australian Commonwealth Government
