Stand Proudly, Tread Lightly.

Two memorable lookouts at the Twelve Apostles and Poombeeyt Koontapool are transforming Victoria’s iconic Shipwreck Coast, delivering world-class visitor experiences that honour culture, environment, and community.

Guided by the concept ‘Stand Proudly, Tread Lightly’, the designs unite architecture, cultural storytelling, and ecological responsibility. Developed in close collaboration with Traditional Owners, the structures embed Eastern Maar heritage at every level. Their forms and finishes reference moieties of the sulphur-crested and red-tailed black cockatoos, integral to Eastern Maar society. One platform evokes clapsticks; another recalls the breaching form of a Southern Right Whale.

Each site commands a distinctive architectural response. At the Twelve Apostles, two dramatic viewing platforms embrace windswept clifftops — one tilted and enclosed, gradually revealing the majestic pillars, the other cantilevering out for panoramic ocean views. In contrast, Poombeeyt Koontapool Lookout is hidden within low vegetation, its organically curved form offering an experience of concealment and revelation, amplifying the blowhole’s raw drama.

Beyond their sculptural presence, the lookouts deliver practical solutions for safety and access. Designed for 500 simultaneous visitors and over 3 million across the year, they ensure inclusive vantage points while carefully managing risk. Slender balustrades and chamfered walls maintain unobstructed views without compromising security.

Responsive to cultural and environmental influences, these projects enable community to stand proudly, while inviting visitors to tread lightly, and experience culture and coastline anew.

Photography: Neil Bourne, Therese Bourne, Simpson Construction Co