Grimshaw's rammed-earth visitor centre opens at the Twelve Apostles in Victoria

The Twelve Apostles draw crowds to Victoria's coast, and the new visitor centre at the top of the site tries to slow them down. Grimshaw and landscape architect Aspect Studios worked with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, who helped settle the building's scale and position on Keerray Woorroong Country, so that its rammed-earth walls read more like a landform than a standalone object.

There are two linked buildings, each reaching outwards as if to embrace its view. The Hinterland Building holds a café and shop; the Coastal Building is the main space for learning and looking, topped by a rooftop ocean lookout. Landscaped paths climb gently towards it, with places to rest and take in the views at different heights along the way. Inside, rammed earth and plywood keep things warm and tactile.

Around it sit the Welcome Garden, an outdoor space celebrating Eastern Maar heritage, and new coastal scrub, grassland and woodland. Buses and cars are kept apart, and walking routes lead from the car parks through the garden and centre before visitors spread out to the cliffs. Grimshaw describes the aim as moving beyond simply processing crowds towards a slower, more connected experience of Country.

Worth building time into a Great Ocean Road drive: walk up to the lookout before heading down to the stacks themselves.

Our summary of a story from Dezeen, published 12 October 2026. Read the original