Wangun Amphitheatre Celebrates Gunaikurnai Culture through Self-Determined Design

In southeastern Victoria, a new performance space by Equity Office is forging a path for culturally safe design.

Completed in close partnership with the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC), the Wangun Amphitheatre in Kalimna West is both a cultural landmark and a community-led architectural achievement.

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Named after the Gunaikurnai word for boomerang, the 100-seat amphitheatre sits lightly within a bushland setting, offering a space to showcase and celebrate Gunaikurnai stories and traditions.
The project forms part of a broader masterplan for the area, developed through a collaborative process with GLaWAC and architecture students from Monash University.

The amphitheatre features a stepped concrete seating area and steel-framed canopy structures, selected for their fire resistance in response to the region’s bushfire risk. The steel frames support PTFE fabric canopies that provide shade and shelter while serving a symbolic function. Five oval-shaped canopies reference the shields of the Gunaikurnai’s five clans—Brataualung, Brayakaulung, Brabralung, Tatungalung and Krauatungalung—while the boomerang-shaped canopy over the stage reinforces the amphitheatre’s name and purpose.

The pale fabric of the canopies is designed to catch shadows during the day and act as a projection surface for dynamic cultural displays at night. Equity Office notes that this projection art can shift with each event, reinforcing the amphitheatre’s role as a living, adaptable space for cultural expression.

Local, non-toxic materials such as rammed earth and spotted gum were used wherever possible, reinforcing the project’s commitment to Country. Native landscaping surrounds the amphitheatre, anchoring the design in place and supporting the broader ecological context.

Following the success of the amphitheatre, GLaWAC has re-engaged Equity Office to co-develop a full site masterplan. Now guiding a potential zoning shift to Special Use Zone, the plan aims to enable further initiatives including a culturally safe garden and café.

By centring community voices and embedding cultural symbolism throughout, the Wangun Amphitheatre marks a significant step in Indigenous-led design practice in Australia.

Images by Rory Gardiner via Dezeen

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