Did you know a memorial park could be this good?
UPDATE - 21 May 2018: Bunurong Memorial Park was awarded Gold for the Urban Design category in the 2018 Melbourne Design Awards.
Bunurong Memorial Park has been shortlisted for the 2018 Melbourne Design awards, in Urban Design. View our entry to learn more about Bunurong’s unique design concepts and give us a five star rating.
There are many things that are unique about our memorial park, designed to respectfully honour and celebrate life within a vast and vibrant native landscape.
The design response was to re-imagine Memorial Parks 'for the living' – using urban space to promote inclusion, respect and choice. Bunurong has also been purpose-built for daily community enjoyment, a place of life, creating a deep connection between people and place.
Although vast, Bunurong Memorial Park is characterised by intimate, sensory-rich spaces and distinctive internal native gardens. Nestled beneath a broad protective tree canopy, facilities provide inspirational settings for peaceful reflection and remembrance.
Our reflection rooms; Stratus, Cumulus and Cirrus are inspired by clouds and our native Australian landscape with Cirrus being surrounded by tranquil, reflective pools featuring striking floor to ceiling windows where water artfully meets the light.
The sanctuary, another reflection room is partially suspended over the edge of Lake Australis, with uninterrupted water views. An impressive glass wall provides a very real connection between water and air, so you feel at one with the elements.
Accented by rich textural elements, sculptures and integrated waterways, Bunurong is an enduring landscape, enhanced by seasonal colour and abundant bird and wildlife. The Memorial Park's newest addition comes with the installation of sculptures from prominent Australian artists Greg Johns and Inge King on loan from McClelland Sculpture Park+Gallery.
Greg Johns’ At the centre (There is nothing) 2012 uses a continually changing pattern that exists within the circle, a universal symbol of unity and stillness. Embodying both the essence of the Australian landscape and a sense of the infinite flow of time and change, Johns’ sculpture complements the philosophy and purpose of BMP.
Inge King’s Jabaroo 1989 references the dance of the Jabiru – a dance that can only be performed by certain male members of the Aboriginal community. The jabiru is a black-necked stork that ‘dances’ in pairs, here King captures the elegant movement and form of this creature.
A destination in itself, Café Vita et flores is a great place to relax, read the papers, gather with family and friends, enjoy a long lunch or simply bring the children to play. An oasis in the region, the thoughtful addition of a children’s playground completes this embracing setting.
An inspired cafe-florist concept, Café Vita et flores is open seven days a week for great espresso, snacks, inspired seasonal menu selections and an abundance of fresh flowers, giving you a chance to “see it and believe it”.
Voting has now closed: You can review the entry and find out more about Bunurong’s unique design concepts.