Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS) by McIldowie Partners
Four Willie Weston designs feature in MITS’ new purpose-built boarding house on Church Street, Richmond, which features artwork by First Nations artist Lorraine Kabbindi White on the facade.
Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS) supports young First Nations people from remote top-end and regional Victorian communities as they pursue away-from-home schooling in Melbourne. McIldowie Partners’ design of the school’s new purpose-built boarding house on Wurundjeri Country focuses on cultural safety, connection and maintaining a connection to Country – ultimately enhancing learning outcomes.
Four Willie Weston designs feature in the space: the commercial upholstery selection includes Rainbows by April Jones in ‘Pindan’ and Mud Ripples by Elizabeth Kandabuma in ‘Wild Red Apple’ and ‘Speargrass’ on banquette seating and ottomans. Jilamara by Jean Baptiste Apuatimi in ‘Stone’ and Syaw (Fish Net) by Annunciata Nunuk Wilson (in a custom shade of rust) were chosen for the walls, on our commercial wallpaper.
April Jones’ Rainbows in ‘Pindan’ [banquette seating and ottoman], Elizabeth Kandabuma’s Mud Ripples in ‘Speargrass’ [upholstered wall panelling in alcove] and Annunciata Nunuk Wilson’s Syaw (Fish Net) in a custom rust colour [wallpaper], at Melbourne Indigenous Transition School’s new boarding house in Richmond, Naarm (Melbourne).
Design elements – including textiles, lighting, wallpaper and way-finding graphics – were selected from the six regions the students come from. McIldowie Director, John McIldowie, described the selection of Willie Weston designs as “…an obvious choice, not just as a continuation of the storytelling narratives, but as a feature interior element that reinforced our design approach”.
Read our interview with John about the project in our online journal HERE.
Mud Ripples in ‘Wild Red Apple' by Elizabeth Kandabuma depicts the patterns of freshwater mud ripples which emerge after monsoonal wet seasons on the Arnhem Land flood plains. The design features in custom upholstery in break out areas throughout the building.
Rainbows by April Jones in ‘Pindan’ celebrates the advent of the dry season, depicting the colourful arcs seen in the sky towards the end of the wet season.
Willie Weston products feature in the new MITS dormitory, including Syaw (Fish Net) wallpaper by Annunciata Nunuk Wilson in a custom colour way [front] and Mud Ripples fabric in ‘Speargrass’ by Elizabeth Kandabuma [back, in alcove].
Syaw (Fish Net) wallpaper by Annunciata Nunuk Wilson in a custom colour way [front].
Mud Ripples fabric in ‘Speargrass’ by Elizabeth Kandabuma [back, in alcove]
Photography: Tom Ross