Sir John Monash Centre

A journey from darkness to light Sited east of the original Sir Edwin Lutyens-designed Australian National Memorial, the new Sir John Monash Centre is carefully placed ‘within’ the overarching site geometry of the Memorial. The Interpretive Centre is conceived as a continuation of the existing journey through the Military Cemetery and the Memorial. Concealed behind the wall of the Memorial, it is designed such that the landscape qualities of the site are preserved - it remains below the height of the Memorial walls and within the original plantings. It is roofed under a ‘lifted’ landscape of the existing French meadow. The building is physically connected to the Memorial via a pair of ramps attached to its flanking pavilions. These pavilions are repurposed as a threshold from a ‘commemorative’ to a ‘ interpretative’ experience. The ramps commence a ‘descent into darkness’ evoking a western front trench-like experience. Descending behind the existing walls of the memorial that bear the names of 11,000 lost soldiers, the ramps turn 90 degrees, providing visitors with a view of the tower, before turning again into the partially underground interpretive centre. These turns make reference to the segmented western front trenches - in order to contain the damage from explosions. The trench-like experience continues as the ramps lead visitors into a dim and sombre foyer. A key element of the foyer is a triangular opening or ‘oculus’ which punctures the post-tensioned concrete diagrid roof structure of the building and which can be seen from the top of the tower. From the foyer, the oculus provides a view to the tower – reminding the visitor of the commemorative purpose of the place. Dominating the interior is a circular ‘immersive gallery’ built of Australian timbers in chevrons emblemic of the ADF Rising Sun motif. Timbers have been selected representing all States and Territories. The visitor circulates around this gallery engaging in the exhibition narrative of ‘Australia before, during, and after WW1’. Human scaled digital screens telling the story are interacted with by the visitor using ‘bring your own’ hand-held devices. Returning to the foyer, visitors exit via an axial ‘lens’ framing a vista to a light filled sunken courtyard. Over the lens is a carefully positioned commissioned tapestry, Morning Star – ‘a pathway through eucalyptus trees and Australian bush’ . A cast-glass artwork of the ADF Rising Sun motif is positioned so as to rise above the horizon as the visitor arrives at the courtyard. After the darkness and density of the Centre’s interior, the movement towards the light, the east, the rising sun is symbolic of hope for the future. The courtyard itself is bright, simple and open. It invites the visitor to gather their thoughts and to reflect. From the courtyard, the visitor ascends a broad staircase to rediscover the now verdant and peaceful Picardie landscape. Additional to the building design the project includes the preparation of a ‘Conservation Plan’ holistically guiding future conservation of the Military Cemetery, The Australian National Memorial and the Sir John Monash Centre itself.