The 28th annual National Trust (New South Wales) Heritage Awards ceremony was held on 13 May at Sydney’s historic Doltone House, recognizing outstanding practise in the field of heritage in the built environment.
The awards ceremony is the signature event of the Australian Heritage Festival in the state, supported by Heritage NSW. It recognizes organizations, individuals and community groups that demonstrate excellence in conservation, advocacy, education, interpretation and communication.
In 2022, 16 winners were named across eight different categories, as well as two individual prizes: a special President’s Prize and the highly esteemed Judges’ Choice Award. Among the winners were exceptional examples of architectural projects exhibiting understanding and appreciation for heritage and promoting an awareness of conservation.
Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects.
Image:
Brett Boardman
From a shortlist of seven buildings and precincts, three architectural projects received an award for adaptive reuse. They included Ngununggula or Southern Highlands Regional Art Gallery by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects; Stephenson’s Mill by Hector Abraham Architects (entered by Susan Hutton); and the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, also by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects.
Ngununggula is the first regional art gallery in the Southern Highlands, borne out of what was the old, leaky dairy at Retford Park. Opening to the public in October 2021, the architect undertook a heritage-sensitive redesign that turned the historical building into 700 square metres of gallery space.
Stephenson’s Mill by Hector Abrahams Architects is recognized for the sympathetic solutions and the careful retention of the original details of a former flour mill in Crookwell, constructed in 1870 by Anthony Stephenson. The architect converted the old flower mill into a home in which owner Susan Hutton could live out her retirement.
Stephenson’s Mill by Hector Abrahams Architects.
Image:
Neil Waldron
The $371 million Walsh Bay Arts Precinct was recognised for its adaptive reuse of 100-year-old heritage-listed wharves, which the architect transformed into a new 1,800 square metre arts ecosystem.
The Judges’ Choice Award went to the Great Cobar Museum and Visitor Information Centre by Dunn and Hillam Architects. The renovation was intended to preserve the history of the building and return it to its former glory. The redesign improved the functionality for staff, better utilized the accessible ground floor for public exhibits, and integrated the landscape and external exhibition spaces into the museum precint.
The President’s Prize went to Dawn Fraser Baths by TKD Architects – the nation’s oldest remaining example of a fully enclosed tidal pool in Sydney Harbour. Commissioned by Inner West Council, the redevelopment raised the bath’s central pavilion and boardwalk by 1.25 metres to accommodate rising sea levels in conjunction with the construction of new amenities.
NSW Minister for Environment and Heritage James Griffin said the awards present a unique opportunity to celebrate the diversity of heritage across the state.
“The winning projects remind us not only of the importance of protecting our shared past, but also the ways in which we can bring heritage to life for all the people of New South Wales to enjoy and explore,” Minister Griffin said.
The judging panel for the National Trust Heritage Awards 2022 included Barrina South, David Burdon, Dr Siobhán Lavelle, Kathryn Pitkin, Lynn Collins and Peter Salhani.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
