The City of Greater Bendigo and Bendigo Art Gallery have appointed Jackson Clements Burrows Architects (JCB) and Clare Design to lead the gallery’s expansion project.
Released on 7 September, initial designs for the new building feature a contemporary white facade referencing the white clay of the Bendigo region.
The building’s exterior will be etched with a pattern to be designed by a Dja Dja Wurrung artist, to be appointed following an expression of interest process. For now, a placeholder design has been incorporated into the renders, showing a pattern inspired by the chevron detailing on a Dja Dja Wurrung shield.
Bendigo Art Gallery director Jessica Bridgfoot said that the proposed design was “on par with iconic international galleries,” while offering something “thoughtful and truly unique to Bendigo” through the incorporation of local Traditional Owner-inspired designs.
The proposed extension would adjoin the existing nineteenth-century galleries, pending assessment by Heritage Victoria, and the interior architecture will feature a light-filled foyer area and a “floating staircase” leading to the first floor.
The interior design for the Bendigo Art Gallery shows a light-filled foyer area with elements of the white exterior carried through and a floating staircase to a new second level.
Image:
Jackson Clements Burrows
According to the City of Greater Bendigo, there are plans to include a learning centre for students and an interactive children’s gallery, a second-level exhibition space, an expanded Traditional Owner Place of Keeping for Dja Dja Wurrung artefacts, and expanded access for free and collection-based exhibitions.
Bridgfoot said that the proposed expansion follows the success of high-profile exhibitions like this year’s Elvis: Direct from Graceland, which have raised the gallery’s profile and reinforced its importance to the state’s visitor economy.
A planning application has been lodged with Bendigo’s planning department for the estimated $48 million project, and its progress will be based on funding. The gallery aims to have the expansion completed by 2026, prior to the Victorian Commonwealth Games (for which Bendigo has been announced a co-host), but funding will need to be secured by June 2023.
Financial support will be sought from the state and federal governments, together with funding commitments from the City of Greater Bendigo, the art gallery’s board and philanthropic donations. If funding is not secured by the outlined date, the project will be paused until after the games.
For more information visit the Bendigo Art Gallery website.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
