Sited on a prominent corner and ridge line in Redfern, the former post office building was chosen by local Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander community representatives as the site for a new community facility. Redfern is, was, and continues to hold great community significance as a place of activism, social resistance and change.

While the symbolism of keeping the existing colonial building relatively intact may seem discordant on first reading, there are a number of narratives that inform and result from this decision. Significantly, the building lends its prominence to the new use.

A strongly patterned masonry lift tower clearly demarcates the new entrance, creating a counterpoint to the original colonial clock tower. A dedicated and celebratory entry space is created, defining a new way
of entering and inhabiting the colonial spaces within. Prominent colonial symbols are also removed and stored.

Ways of better understanding and living with Country are initiated through improved visual and physical connections throughout, with new openings, improved natural air flow and the creation of outdoor spaces.

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