Drawing on the Memorial’s collection, the exhibition explores the history and significance of the building and its setting within Hyde Park, as well as the broader story of Australia’s engagements in conflicts internationally and its impact on lives back home.
A critical aim of the design was revitalising this component of the building, significantly increasing visitation by the public, and engaging with a younger audience. Thus the contemporary insertion, while referencing the original building design, and material palette, has its own character with lean bold “container” elements, and includes the use of large format multimedia.
The design uses colour as a way of identifying different thematic areas of the exhibition, and the detailing defines clean lines and brings clarity to the framework of the exhibition. There are simple bold graphics that draw on the typography of the building era (1930’s) in a contemporary way, and use large format photographic images to sign thematic zones. All larger new structures in the space are located separated from the building walls - so the original building presides intact as the framing space, and the exhibition elements high-lit within.
