Brookfield Place, situated at 125 St Georges Terrace in Perth’s CBD, is a landmark destination that combines top-tier office space, dining, retail, and arts events. To commemorate its 10th anniversary, the precinct initiated a transformation of its ground floor public spaces, both indoors and outdoors.
Brookfield Properties and Hassell, in partnership with Soft Earth and Apparatus, aimed to reintroduce traditional knowledge and pay homage to the Whadjuk Noongar traditional custodians in the redesign of these public areas. Currently, much of the interpretative artwork on the site commemorates colonial histories, and there is still widespread unawareness of the rich Whadjuk Noongar heritage that predates the establishment of Perth’s CBD. The renewal of Brookfield Place seeks to recognize Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar, uniting these narratives and paving the way for a shared future.
Apparatus was responsible for coordinating the selection of two artists for three public art projects. Working in collaboration with Brookfield Properties, architects Hassell, cultural advisors Soft Earth, and the construction team at Multiplex, Apparatus ensured the successful integration of these artworks on site.
The result is four public art installations created by two Noongar Artists: Lea Taylor and Shane Hansen, who aim to reintroduce the memory and presence of water to this site, serving as a reminder of the ancient water systems that still flow deep beneath the ground we stand on. These artworks aim to strengthen connections and revive the links between Noongar traditional culture and our contemporary present.
Julianne Wade, Whadjuk Tainui Indigenous Artist contributed to the project during the initial phase, and she was commissioned to create a 30m mural to be used as hoarding during the renewal construction works.
