Bulmba-ja is a theatre, gallery, and creative development space managed by Arts Queensland.
Pronounced “BULL’M-ba-jar”, the name has a shared meaning of house or place in Yidinji and Yirrganydji languages.
Bulmba-ja plays a vital role in the Cairns arts scene, showcasing the unique stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Visitors can engage with the work of Bulmba-ja tenants JUTE Theatre Company, NorthSite Contemporary Arts, Miriki Performing Arts, The Pryce Centre for Culture and Arts, and Minjil.
Bulmba-ja (formerly the Centre of Contemporary Arts) opened on 29 February 2020 following a $5.9 million refurbishment as part of a Queensland Government vision to support far north Queensland (FNQ) arts and culture.
Designed by TPG Architects, this newly-refurbished centre celebrates Indigenous arts in Far North Queensland.
The brief called for a welcoming public building to showcase the unique stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Existing tenants and start-up Indigenous organisations sought open and flexible spaces to grow, and share knowledge and resources.
The digital façade devised by the TPG Architects’ design team is a dynamic canvas that brings Indigenous voices to centre stage, while the ground level straddles private and public space.
Fringed with landscaped breakout spaces, a laneway café, a palette of Herberton Porphyry, local timbers and Indigenous plants, the ‘Big Verandah’ extends over the footpath to serve as a green, shady oasis beneath the double-height colonnade.
TPG Architects worked closely with Yidinji and Yirrganydji groups to create an architecture that acknowledges and respects these Traditional Owners of the land on which the building stands.
The Bulmba-Ja project has thoughtfully reimagined an important Cairns contemporary art space.
A collaborative design process brought Indigenous perspectives to the fore and has repositioned the site’s narrative as a culturally responsive place.
The new LED art screen façade mediates the tropical climate and sits comfortably alongside a palimpsest of the original fabric, celebrating the building’s many lives.
The much loved ‘cheese grater’ screen has been repurposed to form a green backdrop to a landscaped public verandah space and yarning circle at street level.
Delight and generosity abound in Bulmba-Ja.
Project Details
Completion Date – February 2020
Project Cost – $5,900,000
Project Team
Architecture
TPG Architects
TPG Architects’ directors have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. With numerous projects in North Queensland, from the Whitsundays to PNG, the firm has extensive experience in sustainable commercial, community, educational, residential, and resort developments.
Photography
Andrew Watson Photography
Andrew Watson is a North Queensland-based commercial, corporate, and editorial photographer.
Photo Gallery
Click on a thumbnail image to enlarge.
Design © 2022 TPG Architects. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2022 Andrew Watson. All Rights Reserved.
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