‘Unapologetically wild’ Adelaide street upgrade wins national award
A multi-million dollar makeover of an eastern suburbs street has been honoured at the 2024 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects National Awards.
St Peters Street, which underwent a $4.5 million upgrade to include passive stormwater infrastructure, biodiversity and pedestrian amenities, received an Award of Excellence for Infrastructure and a Climate Positive Design Award.
The streetscape, which was designed by Landskap and the City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters saw 97 large trees retained and over 200 new trees planted in the update.
“The result is a symbiotic space for nature, pedestrians and cars. A highly commendable representation of how landscape design can benefit – and entirely rejuvenate – an area,” the awards jury said of the project.
Place of Reflection, an East End memorial to the Stolen Generations, received the Landscape Architecture Award.
Designed by Yvonne Koolmatrie and Karl Meyer with Exhibition Studios, the City of Adelaide and WAX Design, the park was created to highlight the links between nature and the cultural lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, being both public art and a gathering place.
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Place of Reflection by Yvonne Koolmatrie and Karl Meyer with Exhibition Studios, City of Adelaide and WAX Design. Photo: Brad Griffin
The Kangaroo Island Town Centres Project saw Kangaroo Island Council receive an Award of Excellence for Urban Design and a Regional Achievement Award.
The project saw practical upgrades to the main streets and foreshore precincts of the island’s four main townships, with natural materials reused and existing landscape taken into account.
The jury said recruiting and relocating a landscape architect to the island had been “a masterstroke”.
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Kangaroo Island Town Centres Project, Kangaroo Island Council. Photo: Louise Custance
“The benefits of having a designer who lives in the community are palpable in the design outcome.”
“The design itself, while simple, is extremely high quality and effective, capturing the essence of the area and local community,” they said.
The Glenthorne National Park Ityamaiitpinna Yarta Nature Playground, designed by T.C.L with Karl Winda Telfer and Tikana Telfer, received an Award of Excellence in the play spaces category.
Glenthorne National Park-Ityamaiitpinna Yarta Nature Playground_Practice – T.C.L with Karl Winda Telfer and Tikana Telfer. Photo: supplied
The playground covers over 7000 square metres, has a 25 metre flying fox and includes three slides, a seesaw, a fossil dig area and Kaurna carvings and sculptures.
AILA National Awards jury chair Andrew Thomas said the 2024 entries showed “exemplary thinking, leadership and results, and demonstrate continuing development in sustainability practices”.
“Many projects benefit the environment by reducing urban heat, increasing biodiversity and habitat, while also improving social wellbeing and offering economic benefits for local communities,” he said.
