The name, Laak Boorndap, was bestowed to the garden by Traditional Owner, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elder Aunty Gail Smith to honour the beautiful place that the garden will create for all.
“I gave it the name Laak Boorndap because to me it means a beautiful place for all people to visit and recognise our Country and our Wurundjeri ancestors. It’s not just a placename, it brings Sky Country, the heavens, and everyone back together on Country.” - Aunty Gail Smith, Language Elder from Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation
The garden is designed by the Melbourne studio of international design practice HASSELL and New York’s SO-IL, with internationally renowned horticulturalists Nigel Dunnett and James Hitchmough, who are working closely with plant expert Jac Semmler from Melbourne company, Super Bloom. Planted entirely on an elevated deck, this remarkable new public garden is at the forefront of contemporary garden design – being unique in the world in its planting density, scale and climate resiliency.
Taking advantage of the relatively mild winters in Melbourne, the garden has been designed to flourish year-round, ensuring it is beautiful and ever-changing, and continually fostering biodiversity. The garden showcases a highly dynamic and multi-layered planting design using a mix of native and introduced species including carefully selected trees, perennials, grasses and flora. A bold and unique approach to naturalistic planting, visitors will be able to enjoy six different areas of thematic planting within the garden that intersect and celebrate the natural composition of Australian landscapes.
With a stunning green space that supports community wellbeing and connection, the elevated urban garden will wrap around and connect the new The Fox: NGV Contemporary, NGV International, Arts Centre Melbourne’s Hamer Hall and Theatres Building (under the Spire), along with the adjacent The Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre. Cafes and restaurants will be located at Arts Centre Melbourne and NGV, making the precinct an unmissable destination.
Complementing the rich tapestry of planting across the year, Laak Boorndap will present contemporary art and activation including new artwork commissions by First Peoples. The garden will also be home to significant contemporary sculpture from the collections of NGV and Arts Centre Melbourne, open to the public both day and night.
About the Design Team
Laak Boorndap has been designed by a consortium led by award-winning international design practice Hassell in association with US architects SO-IL. The new urban landscape has been collaboratively designed with Nigel Dunnett and James Hitchmough, the team who transformed London’s Olympic Parklands into a flourishing plant community, with further expertise from Jac Semmler of Super Bloom, an emerging plant practice which brings dynamic living beauty and diversity to urban, landscape and creative projects.
“Laak Boorndap will be a new type of public space for Melbourne – a place for people to be immersed in nature. A place for people to connect to each other, art and performance.” - Ben Duckworth, Principal, Hassell
The multi-disciplinary design team is rounded out with specialist expertise from Steensen Varming, Jensen Hughes (formally MGAC), Northrop, Philip Chun, G&M Connellan, Waterforms, Waterproofing Compliance, Purcell, Vipac and WSP. University of Melbourne’s Green Infrastructure Research Group, based at the University’s historic Burnley campus is providing horticultural and science-backed guidance on the planting schemes.
Hassell brings extensive experience in public space design from Sydney’s Olympic Parklands to a High Street in London, and with major new public spaces now underway in Shanghai and Hong Kong. SO-IL is currently creating a new waterfront in Paris and has previously worked with New York’s MoMA and Frieze Art Fair to challenge the relationship between people and buildings.
Hassell work across architecture, landscape architecture, interior design and urban design - a rich multi-disciplinary mix of skills and perspectives that unlocks the economic, social and cultural value of projects. Through their work, they are trying to build a more inclusive, sustainable future for communities - and create a more socially and ecologically resilient world.