Located in Perth’s CBD, Yagan Square is an innovative public space with a market hall, lush gardens and sculptures that incorporate and display the influence of the Whadjuk people, the traditional custodians of the lands and waterways on which the square resides.

Yagan Square is the city’s meeting place. It is a spot for locals and tourists alike to gather, socialise and profit from Perth’s warm climate. Not simply for socialising, Yagan Square is also a place to explore, with some of the city’s best eateries and retail stores showcased in and around the area.

The square creates a vibrant city buzz during both day and night. During the evening, the space is used to host a stunning light display, and art installation. These displays often showcase Aboriginal art, making reference and paying respect to the Whadjuk people.

According to a 2019 study undertaken by PNAS, green spaces are important to “encourage exercise, provide spaces for socialising, decrease noise and air pollution and improve immune function… it can also help with psychological restoration”. (1) With this in mind, a key component of Yagan Square was ensuring it has ample green space for visitors.

Yagan Square’s manicured outdoor spaces are architecturally magnificent, meticulously considered and curated by Aspect Studios. The Landscape Architecture team is renowned for creating gardens and landscapes that are works of art, with geometric patterns, sculptural forms and public spaces that complement the surrounding environment.

The gardens display the strong Aboriginal narrative that the square is imbued with. The stories of the Whadjuk people explore the concept of animals, birds, landscape, people and place. It is within these stories that inspiration has been derived to create a community square that allows for traditional cultural influence.

The gardens are encompassed in a geometric form, almost jagged and asymmetrical on one side, but joining to meet a smoothly sculpted form on another. The finished result; a uniquely contemporary space, one that is multidimensional in style, yet, pays homage to the landscape in which it is placed. The sculptured steps are reminiscent of Western Australia’s vast coastline, the sharpened edge evocative of the rugged Zuytdorp Cliffs. The project’s materiality pays homage to Australia’s natural landscape, and the colours, patterns and textures that can be found within it.

The architecture team chose Urbanstone Commercial Australian Granite in Austral Juperana for the square. Imbuing the space with a natural materiality, texture and tone, the pavers are varied. In some places, they’re curved, sculpturally cascading over the other in a stream-like fashion, mimicking the flow of the water atop, whilst in others, they’re traditionally laid, creating a flat, safe path for pedestrians, prams and wheelchair users.

Offering a scope of opportunity, Urbanstone's Commercial pavers are durable yet intricate, sleek yet tactile and can be designed to suit any space. The ideal choice for Yagan Square, Urbanstone pavers are hardwearing and perfect to withstand large amounts of foot traffic, maintaining their finish and patina over their years of use.

Photography by: Gary Peters