half-dome timber camp dwellings scattered along tasmania's wukalina walk

taylor + hinds architecture presents its wukalina walk camp, or krakani lumi, in tasmania’s north east national park for the australian state’s aboriginal land council. the collection of timber, cabin-like dwellings is situated along the northern edge of the ‘bay of fires,’ and serves as a two night stop for the culturally significant wukalina walk — a four day guided walk through the aboriginal landscape. the journey spans wukalina (mount william) to larapuna (eddystone point). in the development of krakani lumi, the team organized the accommodation and communal facilities for two guides and ten walkers. it is the first walk of its kind in tasmania that is entirely owned and operated by the aboriginal land council.

all images by adam gibson, unless otherwise stated

the form and materiality of the vaulted structures designed by taylor + hinds architects are expressive of the traditional seasonal shelters of the area’s first peoples. clad in charred tasmanian timber, the individual dwellings appear as a series of discrete dark pavilions, visually integrated into the dense surrounding flora and camouflaging the camp when not in use. the exterior of the individual structures of the wukalina walk camp are robust, tautly detailed and resilient to the corrosive sea air. when the individual structures are opened, a warm half-domed blackwood-lined interior is exposed.

predominantly made of arched branches and sheets of bark, the interior of the traditional half-dome structures were often covered in charcoal drawings of circular motifs and depictions of the constellations. the openness of the traditional half dome form amplifies the experience of dwelling within a larger landscape room. within the sleeping huts, the bedding is supplemented with quilted wallaby furs traditionally known as ‘reore,’ while the space is scented with the essential oil of the local maleleuca ericifolia, a flower that was traditionally used to aid sleep.