Project Description

In Perth’s bustling Cultural Centre, architecture firms Hassell and OMA have reimagined the WA Museum by stitching together significant heritage buildings with contemporary interventions. Named Boola Bardip, a traditional Noongar phrase meaning ‘many stories’, the museum celebrates the history and contemporary of Western Australia while serving as a landmark for the greater precinct.

In consultation with service engineers, architects and heritage consultants, Modular Lighting & Partners developed a lighting strategy to express the new metal-clad facades, while preserving the character and integrity of the heritage buildings. Detailed night testing was conducted using precision Meyer Lighting optics, with multiple mounting locations analysed to achieve a uniform and engaging lighting solution.

The ‘City Room’ forms the centrepiece of the museum; a vibrant open space for public events and activities. The civic space is strategically lit from pole locations to create ambience with light. A range of precision optics allow for a layered lighting approach, with accent and general illumination creating a comfortable and dynamic exterior space.

Concealed linear lighting, supplied by Lumino, was used extensively through Boola Bardip’s interior and exterior. Modular Lighting & Partners considered the technical detailing across all applications, ensuring a consistent visual effect with no visible light and dark spots in handrails, pelmets and lift cars throughout the project.

The precision and subtlety of the lighting approach serves to accentuate the qualities of the architecture; new and existing, inside and out. True to the architects’ ambition, Boola Bardip establishes a unique architectural identity for the museum, representing the interest and diversity of its contents.