Completed in 1994
Glenn Murcutt
Pritzker Prize Laureate, 2002
Yirrkala Community, Eastern Amheim Land,
Northern Territory, Australia

Designed for an Aboriginal artist, the Marika-Alderton House ingeniously adapts to the hot, tropical climate of Australia's Northern Territory. There are no glass windows. Instead, Glenn Murcutt used plywood walls, tallow-wood shutters, and corrugated iron roofing. These simple materials, easily assembled from prefabricated units, helped contain construction costs.

The house is open to fresh air, yet insulated from intense heat and protected from strong cyclone winds. Wide eaves shelter the house from the sun. Pivoting tubes along the roof expel hot air and vertical fins direct cooling breezes into the living spaces. Because the structure rests on stilts, air circulates underneath and helps cool the floor. Raising the house also helps keep the living space safe from tidal surges.

Along the long central hall, tilting plywood panels can be raised and lowered like awnings. Slatted shutters allow users to adjust the flow of sunlight into the interior space. Opening and closing like a plant, the house embodies Murcutt's concept of a flexible shelter that exists in harmony with nature's rhythms.

Despite the shrewdness of its design, the Marika-Alderton House has been hotly criticized. Some scholars say that the building is insensitive to the history and political plight of the native culture. The Aborigines have never constructed stationary, permanent structures. Moreover, the project was partially funded by a steel mining company which used the publicity to enhance the corporate image while negotiating with the Aborigines over mining rights. Those who love the house, however, argue that Glenn Murcutt combined his own creative vision with Aboriginal ideas, creating a unique and valuable bridge between cultures.

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