Communing with nature: Set in a remote landscape in one of Australia's national parks, this visitor centre is inspired by the grandeur and rigour of its surroundings.

Set in an ancient landscape of high plateaux, rugged hills and spectacular gorges, this new visitor centre in Karijini National Park forms an introduction to the park's flora, sauna, people and history. The terrain (in remote western Australia) was originally occupied by Aboriginal people; more recently it has been colonized by farmers and miners, (The region is rich in deposits of iron ore.) Echoing the undulations of the site, the form of the building is generated by a series of curved, free-standing walls. In plan, the walls form an abstract representation of a kurrumanthu or goanna (a type of large indigenous lizard) chosen by local Aboriginal people as a symbol of the project.

The wall is the most profoundly transfiguring element imposed on the Australian landscape by European settlers. In its many guises it encircles, shields, excludes and divides. Here, it forms a series of sinuous channels that frame and focus views of the landscape. Made of steel, the serpentine planes resemble Richard Serra sculptures, or, more prosaically, agricultural relics marooned in the bush. The walls generate a sense of surprise and intrigue, drawing visitors through the single-storey building, but also they also suggest the immemorial presence of nature, through carefully calculated vistas. Tall panes of frameless glass are set between the brooding steel planes, dematerializing the boundary between inside and out. Floors made of concrete tinted with red oxide are raised slightly above ground level, further blurring the distinction between exterior and interior.

Ancillary functions, such as the main ablutions block, are corralled in a separate services building near the car park. From here a winding path snakes up to the visitor centre. The main entrance is placed on the southwest corner; the curved wall planes funnel visitors into a central exhibition space. Ranged along the north side are a small theatre and suite of offices. The circuit of the interior concludes with the obligatory shop. Spaces meld into one another in the fluidly organic plan, animated and structured by glimpses of the landscape beyond.

Given the centre's relative isolation and the rigours of the hot, dry climate, the building had to be both durable and simple to maintain, using only local materials and skills. The outcome is a heavily insulated, unpainted steel shed that relies on a system of evaporative cooling to meet ventilation and cooling requirements. Power is supplied by diesel generators, which proved more economical that photovoltaics. Robust yet dignified, the new building has a strong topographic quality well suited to its role in heightening awareness of the grandeur of nature.