Monarto Safari Park visitor centre wins top architecture award
Adelaide firms Intro and Studio Gram have won the industry’s top prize in South Australia for the landmark building at the former zoo.
The most beautiful new building in South Australia is right here in the Murraylands, according to the Australian Institute of Architects.
Monarto Safari Park’s visitor centre won the top prize, the SA Architecture Medal, at the industry’s annual awards on Friday night.
It also won the Keith Neighbour Award for commercial architecture, and was commended in another category for its use of steel.
Judges described the visitor centre as “an outstanding example of the ways that good design can lift the profile of an important not-for-profit organisation and serve the broader South Australian community”.
“Situated in the expansive Mallee plains, the form establishes a harmonious relationship with (the) site, while also fostering a deeper connection between people and the environment.”
The $16.8 million building was designed by Adelaide firms Intro and Studio Gram.
Safari park director Peter Clark described it as “like a dream come true” when it opened last year.
The visitor centre was one of the first steps towards the former Monarto Zoo’s massive Wild Africa expansion, which will feature a luxury hotel and new animal experiences when it is completed in late 2024.
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