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Labyrinth
Labyrinth
Tumut, Australia
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Other Projects by HECTOR ABRAHAMS ARCHITECTS
Labyrinth
Tumut, Australia
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2017
A new site-specific community labyrinth in Tumut NSW Australia has a design based on the Reims Cathedral labyrinth in France and includes embedded symbols of the WW1 conflict.
The name ‘Tumut’ is drawn from the local Indigenous word ‘doomut’, meaning ‘quiet resting place by the river’.
And that's exactly what the Tumut Community Labyrinth for Peace designed by Hector Abrahams Architects (HAA) is - a place of meditation, contemplation and recreation.
Inspired by local history and local astronomy and using local materials, the 1200m2 labyrinth
Unlike mazes, which are designed to confuse or challenge, a labyrinth aims for tranquillity with a very clear path, and a calming, restorative environment.
At the centre inlaid local stones mirror the position of the eight planets as they appeared in the southern hemisphere sky on the WW1 Armistice, November 1918, connecting the labyrinth to a moment in history shared around the world.
Symbols of the conflict are also embedded in the labyrinth, including soil from Hill 60 Belgium, where a significant 1917 battle involved Australians serving on the Western Front. And local mementos including a horseshoe and a dog collar acknowledging the role these animals played in the war; Lone Pine cuttings; a local veteran’s Second World War medal; and a soldier’s letter and photo to his mother from the Western Front.
The labyrinth is one of a few labyrinths worldwide that is completely accessible. Pathways are wide enough for two or three people to traverse together, including in wheel chairs or prams. And the surfaces and materials, and turns, are suitable for scooter/wheelchair navigation. In fact, this is the most accessible labyrinth in Australia in terms of location, turns and width, and materials and surfaces.
The octagon-shaped space evokes Tumut’s street grid and follows the traditional pattern of labyrinths, with a single entrance and single winding path that leads to a central place of contemplation.
Moving clockwise, the 325 metres journey traverses each quadrant of the octagon in three even sweeps. Seven layers of path are folded back and forth between the outer edge and the centre.
The main path is made of locally quarried Wee Jasper bluestone edged with a concrete exposed aggregate referencing the geology of the local area.
Along the outer edge, three way stations provide gathering places for reflection and educational opportunities for school or tour groups. They feature interpretive panels about Tumut’s history, people and geography, from first inhabitants to recent settlers.
The approach is unique because traditionally labyrinths are based on an individual's journey. It truly encompasses the World Labyrinth Day motto: Walk As One, capturing both the individual and the community nature of labyrinth 'walking'.
Personal reflection or meeting place, exercise or education, celebration or community event, the Tumut Labyrinth encourages inclusiveness. And it celebrates the community service of its citizens in times of peace and conflict.
The site-specific design, its materials and most significantly, accessibility, make it a special place for future generations. And being included on the International Register of Labyrinths will attract tourists to the local area.
The name ‘Tumut’ is drawn from the local Indigenous word ‘doomut’, meaning ‘quiet resting place by the river’.
And that's exactly what the Tumut Community Labyrinth for Peace designed by Hector Abrahams Architects (HAA) is - a place of meditation, contemplation and recreation.
Inspired by local history and local astronomy and using local materials, the 1200m2 labyrinth
Unlike mazes, which are designed to confuse or challenge, a labyrinth aims for tranquillity with a very clear path, and a calming, restorative environment.
At the centre inlaid local stones mirror the position of the eight planets as they appeared in the southern hemisphere sky on the WW1 Armistice, November 1918, connecting the labyrinth to a moment in history shared around the world.
Symbols of the conflict are also embedded in the labyrinth, including soil from Hill 60 Belgium, where a significant 1917 battle involved Australians serving on the Western Front. And local mementos including a horseshoe and a dog collar acknowledging the role these animals played in the war; Lone Pine cuttings; a local veteran’s Second World War medal; and a soldier’s letter and photo to his mother from the Western Front.
The labyrinth is one of a few labyrinths worldwide that is completely accessible. Pathways are wide enough for two or three people to traverse together, including in wheel chairs or prams. And the surfaces and materials, and turns, are suitable for scooter/wheelchair navigation. In fact, this is the most accessible labyrinth in Australia in terms of location, turns and width, and materials and surfaces.
The octagon-shaped space evokes Tumut’s street grid and follows the traditional pattern of labyrinths, with a single entrance and single winding path that leads to a central place of contemplation.
Moving clockwise, the 325 metres journey traverses each quadrant of the octagon in three even sweeps. Seven layers of path are folded back and forth between the outer edge and the centre.
The main path is made of locally quarried Wee Jasper bluestone edged with a concrete exposed aggregate referencing the geology of the local area.
Along the outer edge, three way stations provide gathering places for reflection and educational opportunities for school or tour groups. They feature interpretive panels about Tumut’s history, people and geography, from first inhabitants to recent settlers.
The approach is unique because traditionally labyrinths are based on an individual's journey. It truly encompasses the World Labyrinth Day motto: Walk As One, capturing both the individual and the community nature of labyrinth 'walking'.
Personal reflection or meeting place, exercise or education, celebration or community event, the Tumut Labyrinth encourages inclusiveness. And it celebrates the community service of its citizens in times of peace and conflict.
The site-specific design, its materials and most significantly, accessibility, make it a special place for future generations. And being included on the International Register of Labyrinths will attract tourists to the local area.
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