John Forrest National Park Redevelopment
In 2021, Gresley Abas was selected through a design proposal EOI process to develop a new vision for visitor facilities at John Forrest National Park, including a proposed Park Centre and a series of new arrival, access and amenity projects.
The work established an integrated approach to the visitor precinct, seeking to strengthen connections to the landscape while improving accessibility, amenity and the experience of arriving at the park. The broader strategy included the relocation of visitor parking, a new universally accessible pedestrian bridge and arrival sequence, new amenities, and a significant new Park Centre.
The proposed Park Centre brought together interpretation, café and event spaces and DBCA facilities within a contemporary building conceived in response to its natural setting. Interpretation was developed as an important part of the visitor experience, encompassing the heritage of John Forrest National Park, the wider Western Australian parks network and the Aboriginal culture and Country of the park.
The precinct works were conceived as a sequence. Relocating the car park allowed vehicles to be removed from the heart of the visitor area and established a new point of arrival. From there, the new pedestrian bridge creates a generous and universally accessible connection into the park, while the new amenities provide upgraded facilities for visitors.
The car park and associated arrival works have been completed, with the pedestrian bridge and amenities forming the subsequent stages of the precinct's delivery. The originally proposed Park Centre will not proceed in its designed form.
Across the project, the landscape was treated as the primary experience: infrastructure was carefully located and designed to reduce its visual impact, improve accessibility and allow the natural setting of John Forrest National Park to remain the defining character of the visitor experience.
“John Forrest National Park is an iconic park less than an hour’s drive from central Perth and these upgrades and new facilities will give visitors even more reasons to visit and enjoy the park. Gresley Abas is a local architect firm with a wealth of experience in this type of innovative project.”
The design was developed through intensive consultation with Traditional Owners and the DBCA. Proclaimed in 1900, John Forrest National Park was WA’s first national park and is one of Australia’s oldest conservation areas. This redevelopment will honour it’s rich history.
