Girraween Visitor Precinct

At Place Design Group, we are dedicated to creating public spaces that foster a deeper connection with nature. Through thoughtful planning and design, we work alongside governments, communities, and our design partners to deliver national park destinations that balance conservation, functionality, and experience, ensuring these places remain resilient and inclusive.

Our work at Girraween National Park reflects this philosophy. Tasked with designing the external spaces surrounding the Visitor Precinct, we collaborated closely with the project architect, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, and the broader project team to create an arrival experience that celebrates rather than competes with the park’s dramatic granite landscape. The brief called for architecture and facilities that blend into the environment and structures that invite visitors to engage with the park’s natural beauty and experience a sense of reverence and awe.

Drawing inspiration from Girraween’s striking granite formations, native flora and rich cultural narratives, we worked with the Kambuwal Aboriginal Corporation for Culture, Heritage, and Land. Our approach aimed to embed cultural meaning throughout the design. This is seen in the hand-laid stone walls, sandblasted carpet python motifs, and endemic plantings that blend seamlessly with the surrounding bushland.

The project celebrates the distinct identity of the Granite Belt region and reinforces the Queensland Government’s commitment to enhancing the visitor experience across the state’s national parks, creating places that educate, inspire, and connect people with nature.

Photography by Luke Ray