Kalbarri Skywalk named top Australian architecture project
The breathtaking Kalbarri Skywalk in Kalbarri National Park has been voted the best Australian architecture project on the popular Network 10 TV program Australia By Design.
The attraction was featured in series 5, with the final episode showcasing the top ten architectural projects across the country.
With wide-ranging input to the project, Geraldton-based Eastman Poletti Sherwood Architects designed the attraction, including its two cantilevered walks which jut dramatically out from the rim of the Murchison Gorge.
The opening of the universally accessible Kalbarri Skywalk in 2020 marked the culmination of a $24 million project delivered by the State Government to install the viewing platforms, a kiosk, shade shelters, toilets, parking, 22km of park roads, and upgrades to Meanarra Hill and Z Bend tourist sites.
Not surprisingly, the Kalbarri Skywalk has become a major tourism drawcard for the region, providing visitors with a stunning high-level vista of the Park’s gorges, rust-red cliffs, waterways, and bushland.
Kalbarri is a part of the traditional lands of the Nanda people, in the Yamatji region of WA. ‘Kaju Yatka’ on the entry sign are the Nanda words for ‘sky’ and ‘to walk’. Inspired by the region’s aboriginal heritage and beauty, several local indigenous artists created interpretative artwork as an important part of the Skywalk experience.
Watch the series five season finale on YouTube.
Interpretive and artistic elements are inspired by the ancient culture of the traditional owners, the Nanda people. Photo credit: Creative Spaces
