 | LINE OF LODE Mining and memory, tragedy and tourism come together in two striking new projects at Broken Hill. Review by Carolyn Wigg.
Photography by Sam Noonan.
| Review |
The unique site of the Line of Lode Miner’s Memorial and Visitors Centre, on the edge
of the mullock heap that bisects the city of Broken Hill, could not provide a more
dramatic and visible location. This drama is heightened after dark, when the floodlit
buildings appear like a beacon shining across the city. Seen from a distance at dusk, the
first impression is of the symbiotic relationship between the two buildings and their almost ephemeral quality against the dark and threatening bulk of the mullock, looming
30 metres above the city. Once on top of this man-made mound, shadow becomes
substance. The fragmented steel roof soars above the concrete wall of the Visitors
Centre, creating a twisting, diminishing entrance, drawing the visitor into the building.
The robust steel and concrete construction and strong geometric forms of the two
buildings reinforce their physical relationship; however the Miner’s Memorial remains the
dominant structure. The massive vertical elements of the memorial contrast with the
lighter, more complex form of the Visitors Centre with its distinctive roof floating above
anchoring concrete walls. The strong visual relationship between the two buildings is
reinforced by the processional journey designed to lead visitors through the centre and
across the mound to the memorial.
The start of this journey, through an increasingly constricted space, is intended as a
metaphor for the experience of the miners. It represents the inevitability of working in the
mines and the uncomfortable working conditions in a damp, claustrophobic underground
environment. Water flowing beside the path heightens the experience, as do the
continuous audio-visual representations of miners at work. Beyond the entrance, the
building opens up to reveal a cafe and a souvenir shop, while visual cues lead the visitor
to a glass viewing area showcasing the Miner’s Memorial. With this strong visual
connection and growing sense of anticipation it is a minor disappointment that the visitor
is then diverted through the souvenir shop, en route to the memorial.
The journey then becomes one of human frailty and exposure to the elements. It
continues outside across a steel walkway perched above the toxic mullock heap, before
bringing the visitor directly onto a ramp, which seems to anchor the structure back into
the earth and leads into the major axis of the Miner’s Memorial. This axial progression
passes through the cathedral-like space of the memorial and, finally, out onto a viewing
platform perched over the edge and confronting the city, to remind the visitor of the
diminishing role of mining in the community.
The design of the memorial is both simple and complex. The simplicity lies in the plan. The east-west axis – marking the rising and setting of the sun – forms a cross with
the main north-south axis to the city – representing the women and children of Broken
Hill. The complexity lies in the dramatic steel structure defining external form and
internal space. Heavy steel panels gradually fold overhead as a contextual reference to
the mining industry, evoking the danger and camaraderie experienced by the miners as
well as the enclosure experienced underground. This impression of being underground is
accentuated by the symbolic timber props bracing the steel panels – panels which at
first constrict and then open up again to frame the sky and view across the city.
Visiting the Line of Lode complex by day and at night provides two very different
experiences. At night, the view of the lights of Broken Hill to the north and south is
breathtaking. The extensive glazed walls of the cafe maximise this experience. During
the day, the views are still exceptional, but less distracting and the visitor can focus on
the memorial and the human tragedy it represents. A lasting impression is of the
freestanding glass panels within the memorial, etched with the names of those who
have died mining the Line of Lode since 1883. The glass panels run the length of the
memorial and contrast with the russet patina of the weathered BHP Austen steel sheet.
The history and unique identity of Broken Hill has clearly influenced the design of the
complex. Architecture as experience goes beyond building as shelter; it should also fuel
the imagination and fire the soul. The Visitors Centre as gateway and the Miner’s
Memorial as monument also reflect the memories and spirit of Broken Hill.
The Line of Lode Miner’s Memorial is an icon for Broken Hill and the mining industry.
It is also a symbolic and spiritual representation of the human tragedy of more than 800
deaths since mining commenced in Broken Hill. For the community, the Line of Lode
Miner’s Memorial and Visitors Centre provide the first opportunity for those not employed
in mining to visit the site. Floral tributes beside some of the hundreds of names in the
memorial are a testimony that grief and memories are ever present.
Carolyn Wigg manages the Building Standards and Policy Branch, Planning SA and is a
RAIA SA Chapter councillor.
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| Project Description |
The Miner’s Memorial and Visitors Centre at Broken Hill is the
result of an ongoing collaboration between the Louis Laybourne Smith School of
Architecture and Design at the University of South Australia, the Line of Lode
Association, and the mining community. The project is part of a much larger site leased
back to the community for development as an educational and tourism centre. With only
a few years of mining ahead, Broken Hill has identified tourism as a key strategy for
survival. A Federation Grant enabled the construction of the memorial and visitors
centre, and funded other restoration work on the former mine leases which are set to
become one of the most significant industrial heritage sites in Australia.
Since 1996, architecture students at the University of South Australia have been
involved in studio projects relating to the site. One of those projects, the Miner’s
Memorial, is now a reality. The memorial commemorates the 800 or more miners who
lost their lives working along the Line of Lode. Designed by final year students Angus
Barron, Steve Kelly and the late Dario Palumbo, with design development and
documentation by Angus Barron, the project was completed under the supervision of
senior lecturer and architect Chris Landorf.
In 1998, the university was also engaged to design and document a visitors centre.
Designed by Landorf and David Manfredi as a gateway to the Miner’s Memorial, the
Visitors Centre also provides an introduction to the city’s economic, technological and
political place in our national history. A process of community consultation and historical
research, including reference to oral histories from the city, were significant drivers of
the centre’s theoretical framework.
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| Project Credits |
Line of Lode Miner’s Memorial
and Visitors Centre
Architect The University of South Australia—
Visitors Centre design and project architects Chris
Landorf and David Manfredi; Miner’s Memorial
design Angus Barron, Steve Kelly and Dario
Palumbo; Miner’s Memorial documentation Angus
Barron and Chris Landorf; Miner’s Memorial
project architects Chris Landorf and David
Manfredi. Engineers TMK Consulting Engineers
(Visitors Centre), Connell Mott MacDonald (Miner’s
Memorial). Builder De Franceschi & Sons. Cost
Management Lees Cadman. Client The Line of
Lode Association.
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