Named after the Noongar warrior, Yagan Square has been conceived as a natural meeting place and point of convergence for the Perth CBD, Northbridge and the new Perth City Link development.

Yagan Square is located on former wetlands, once a space for hunting and gathering, ceremony and Indigenous cultural practices. This location inspired much of the design.

Focused around a large ‘meeting place’ performance ampitheatre, organically shaped shade structures, native flora, a dynamic water feature and an iconic digital tower, Yagan Square is expected to become one of the city’s biggest attractions.

The space has the capacity to accept over 70,000 visitors a day and host major festival events as well as catering for day-to-day busking, performances and other activities.

Design

Architecture, landscape and art have been intertwined and embedded with Indigenous cultural stories and references, developed in consultation with Noongar representatives. Intentionally ambiguous, the idea is that visitors can find, create and complete their own narratives.

The form emerges from the ground, a tilted platform with geological references to fissures, cracks and gullies eroded in the middle to create an informal meeting place. A semi underground space has been formed, creating a deep cave-like space that feels quiet and removed from the city bustle.

Materials include layers of stone and metal; rich tactile material extracted from Noongar land then capped with weathering steel (Corten Steel) that continues to change with time, developing new surface patterns from the movement of stormwater.