Australia’s Wangun Amphitheater honors cultures

Image: MakMax Australia/Rory Gardiner

Fabric architecture includes innumerable possibilities with shape and form, which can result in imbuing even an amphitheater with rich cultural symbolism. Wangun Amphitheatre in Kalimna West, Australia, commissioned by the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC), is such a place. The design features five overlapping elliptical canopies over the seating areas, representing the five Gunaikurnai clan shields. A larger, delta-shaped roof serves as the stage canopy and was fashioned after the shape of a boomerang, or wangun in the Gunaikurnai language. The amphitheater will be used as a community gathering space and for cultural celebrations.

The tensile membranes are PTFE, which was chosen for being translucent in the daytime and becoming a projection canvas during evening shows. Fire retardancy of the material was also important, considering the amphitheater’s brushland location.

*Wangun Amphitheatre during construction. Image: MakMax Australia*

The five oval audience canopies are 12 meters (39 feet) long and 7 meters (23 feet) across at the shortest axis of the ellipse. The stage canopy is 6 meters (20 feet) across the middle, with a span of 23 meters (75 feet) at its widest. The structures are cantilevered over the audience and angled to channel rain to the outside, while rain guards mitigate runoff from the seating area. The columns were designed to reflect the gum trees there.

The remote location presented logistical challenges for the delivery of materials to the site, but MakMax Australia, located in Northgate, developed a plan to ensure a smooth installation. Framework and canopies were assembled and tensioned at ground level before being installed as single, completed sections using a crane.

The design won a Citation of Merit at the LSAA 2024 Design Awards by the Lightweight Structures Association of Australasia. The grand opening ceremony in June 2024 featured dance, food and cultural activities.