Project Highlight | Amphitheatre in Western Section of Eucalyptus Lawn
Revitalizing Heritage through Community Engagement
The newly introduced amphitheatre in the western zone of the Eucalyptus Lawn East at Altona Memorial Park represents a strategic move by GMCT to revitalize legacy cemetery landscapes into multifunctional urban precincts. Rooted in reverence and renewal, the design reinterprets the cemetery not only as a site of remembrance but as a living cultural space — fostering inclusion, gathering, and sustained public interest.
This circular open-air structure, framed by sculpted in-situ concrete terraces and tactile, timber-clad seating, is shaped by land-sensitive earthworks. It invites quiet reflection, civic memory, storytelling, and performance, serving as a venue for GMCT-hosted events, commemorations, and community-based programs such as school assemblies and cultural festivals.
Services Delivered:
- Amphitheatre designed to blend ceremonial dignity with cultural activation.
- Financially sustainable design through community-led programming and site activation
- Contextual in-situ concrete forms designed for durability, acoustics, and seating comfort.
- Land-sensitive terracing that retains existing topography and enhances visual unity.
- Inclusive access design integrated with surrounding cemetery infrastructure.
- Passive landscape buffers and native planting strategy for microclimate and ambiance.
- Urban placemaking strategy supporting social activation in reflective landscapes.
- Collaborative engagement with stakeholders for long-term programming viability.
Project Overview:
This initiative is part of a broader vision to redefine cemeteries as hybrid civic-scapes — places that promote healing, storytelling, ecological consciousness, and cultural continuity. The amphitheatre enables revenue-generating opportunities such as venue hire, guided community walks, cultural performances, and intergenerational workshops, reinforcing a model of financially viable and socially regenerative landscape design.
Its radial form and careful material palette reinforce a layered experience — merging urban vitality with spatial memory. By gently shaping landforms and preserving ecological character, the space fosters a resilient, inclusive public realm where civic use and quietude coexist.
Design: Hamed Tavakoli (Meso Space)
Site: GMCT (Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust)Location: Altona Memorial Park, Melbourne
Year: 2023–2024 (Construction Phase)
