Ngutungka Henley

Ngutungka Henley

Designed by JPE Design Studio for the City of Charles Sturt, Ngutungka Henley is an integrated library and community centre in Adelaide, South Australia. For the traditional owners, the Kaurna people, Ngutungka is a term meaning ‘Place of Knowledge’, signifying a place of learning, knowledge sharing and connection.

Through consultation with the local community and Council, JPE has redesigned the library, community centre and surrounding landscape with a sensitive approach to the neighbouring State Heritage-listed Henley Town Hall which connects to the new building.

The design uses a soft palette with fluted external surfaces to evoke coastal forms, textures and light.

“The concept was largely based on the site’s proximity to the ocean with the design package referencing the sweeping curves of sand dunes. Compacted sand is a big element in the landscape and we wanted to reinforce that identity,” said JPE landscape architect Matt Edwards.

The furniture selection reflects the new architecture of clean lines, curves and soft tones. Chosen to withstand corrosive coastal elements, Linea range with its stainless steel frames in low maintenance Textura Core Ten are paired with aluminium Curly Birch battens.

“The (Textura) Core Ten works well with the rustic, coastal feel that we were going for, and matches some of the materiality on the actual building itself,” said Edwards.

Linea Seats are plinth-fixed on locally sourced bluestone rock. Linea Curved Seats frame an existing tree while Cubes are dotted around the building, for those who wish to read on their own.

“The curved Linea seat at the back has created a really nice little moment which benefits from dappled light in the summer.”

Bluestone was chosen for its resilience to coastal locations. “We use it quite extensively as sea walls along the coast in South Australia. So it has a pretty strong coastline identity to it,” Edwards said.

The community has welcomed the new space. “Ngutungka Henley is a blend of history and modernity inside and out, incorporating the heritage-listed Henley Town Hall into the facility,” said City of Charles Sturt Mayor Angela Evans.

“The external landscaping is welcoming and functional to invite people into this new integrated library and community centre. We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback as residents and visitors alike continue to discover this space.”

For durability and low maintenance, pair Textura powdercoating with Wood Without Worry battens for the ultimate set and forget solution.