In collaboration with Cumulus Studio Architects and Parks and Wildlife, the Cradle Mountain Gateway Precinct site plan was developed to offer an alpine village feel and unique visitor experience through high quality interpretative design. The ‘alpine village’ includes a new visitor centre, orientation building, commercial services base, shuttle bus shelter, and coach transit centre, sitting on the edge of the Cradle Mountain World Heritage National Park.

The Gateway Precinct establishes a sense of anticipation on arrival. The landscape has been designed to reflect the world-renowned Cradle Mountain visitor experience.

Recognising the significance and sensitivity of the site, key elements of the surrounding natural environment informed the design.

Cradle Mountain is a powerful natural landscape. The Landscape design form is inspired by the geological processes that have shaped, and continue to shape the environment upon which these plant communities are based — lichen and stylised tarns, sharp boundaries and a mosaic patchwork landscape.

The landscape construction methodology is based on the recycling of vegetation sod from proposed construction areas and placing it on areas to be rehabilitated. Plants have been propagated from provenance and developed over 5 years. Plantings are done in singular species on mass to create striking groves of vegetation to represent the sub alpine flora communities of the area.