The team collaborated with Breakspear Architects in the design of a new Echo Point Visitor Information Centre, for Blue Mountains City Council. This ‘Unesco’ world heritage site is the most visited tourist attraction in Australia after the Sydney Opera House, attracting an estimated 2 million tourists each year and is becoming the primary welcoming point for the Blue Mountains Region.

The core objectives for the new centre’s design were to generate an appreciation of this world heritage site, articulate a building and gathering space that would engage with visitors, provide a rich experience, and inspire a sense of wonder. The underlying design approach was to allow the site’s magnificence to take precedence over the architecture, and for the surrounding landscape to guide the manifestation of the built form and materiality.

A concrete plane hovers above the existing platform, framing views, connecting building functions, and providing shade from the summer sun. The new centre becomes a serene backdrop from which to enjoy Echo Point’s world heritage bush setting, cultural significance and spectacular views.