Tiwu Kumangka has been recognised with a major award in the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2024 SA Architecture Awards.
South Australian architects DesignInc received the Award for Public Architecture and a Commendation for Interior Architecture for the building, which incorporates the Blackwood Library and Community Centre.
Judges said the two-storey building included areas for quiet reflection, focused work and group work balanced by larger spaces for play and learning that caters to users of all ages and abilities.
“The project utilises scale, positioning and integrated landscaping to deliver an enduring public place within a transformative urban context,” they said. “Tiwu Kumangka cohesively combines a flexible community centre with a 21st-century public library. The use of warm tones, earthy textures and curves throughout ties the interior to the landscape and generates calm in a highly activated public space.”
DesignInc was also recognised for its work designing the upgraded Mitcham Memorial Library for City of Mitcham in 2019.