Ipswich City Council Administration Building by Buchan Group
Jean’s artwork for our design, Jilamara, includes lines that are unique to the people of the Tiwi Islands.
A purpose-built administration building for Ipswich City Council, designed by Buchan Group, sits alongside a revitalised civic space, urban water park and Australia’s first standalone children’s library, creating a true community heart for the city of Ipswich.
Willie Weston’s Jilamara design by Jean Baptiste Apuatimi in ‘Stone’, on our Indoor Weave commercial upholstery fabric, was selected for the lounge seating, delivered by our longstanding collaborators, Zenith.
Located at 1 Nicholas Street, the building brings all Council departments together under one roof for the first time in decades, with seven storeys of office space rising above a two-storey inverted podium. Earthy hues, layered textures and natural finishes can echo the surrounding material palette and soften shared spaces, some of which extend into the public realm, creating opportunities for connection.
Jilamara is a Tiwi word that refers to the ochre patterning traditionally painted on the bodies of dancers and on carved poles during Pukumani ceremonies. Jilamara is unique to the art and culture of Tiwi Islanders.
Jean Baptiste Apuatimi. Photo: Tiwi Design.
Jean Baptiste Apuatimi (1940-2013) is internationally acclaimed as a painter, carver and printmaker. She was born at Pirlangimpi, Melville Island, NT, into the Japijapunga (March Fly) skin group. In 1991 she participated in her first exhibition; the next year the National Gallery of Victoria acquired eight of her bark paintings. Apuatimi exhibited widely and earned significant recognition as both an artist and a custodian of Tiwi culture. Her work is held in public and private collections around the world, including the British Museum (UK), the Seattle Museum of Art (USA) and the National Museum of Women in the Arts (USA).
Willie Weston’s Jilamara design by Jean Baptiste Apuatimi in ‘Stone’, on our Indoor Weave commercial upholstery fabric, was selected for the lounge seating, by Zenith Interiors.