Major milestone as nature‑inspired façade completed at Twelve Apostles Visitor Centre

The rammed-earth façade of the new Twelve Apostles Visitor Experience Centre has been completed, rounding out the main structure of the building that will be a world-class gateway to Victoria’s stunning south-west.

The extensive structure will greet millions of visitors each year once the building is complete, part of a $126 million redevelopment at Victoria’s most visited natural destination.

In a nod to the famous coastline opposite, the façade and walls were constructed over time, layer-by-layer, from 1,500 tonnes of rock. The hand-formed structures were created by regional Victorian company Earth Structures, setting the scene for an immersive experience with nature.

Development Victoria is delivering the new Visitor Experience Centre in partnership with Regional Development Victoria as part of the Twelve Apostles Precinct Redevelopment.

Development Victoria Executive General Manager Civic Infrastructure Hannah Clement said completing the rammed earth façade marks a significant milestone for the project.

Designed by Grimshaw Architects, the Visitor Experience Centre will sit gently in the landscape, with hundreds of native plants extending across its low-profile rooftop and down to a large Welcome Garden.

Plants have been selected by the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, part of a collaborative design across the redevelopment that will introduce visitors to a deeper story of Keerray Woorroong Country.

The façade is also an example of how regional businesses are helping to shape this major project, with companies in Colac, Warrnambool, Geelong and Ballarat also engaged on construction of the building. Local nurseries and businesses are supplying plants and landscaping materials that will revegetate the area.

At the centre of the redevelopment is the Visitor Experience Centre, which will connect visitors with the famous landscape, Eastern Maar cultural heritage, and the many other regional destinations and townships beyond the Twelve Apostles.

The Twelve Apostles Precinct Redevelopment is funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments through the Geelong City Deal. The Visitor Experience Centre is being delivered by Development Victoria with Kane Constructions as head contractor and Grimshaw as architects and will be managed by the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority. The precinct will be delivered in cooperation with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation.