Plans for an expansion of the Campbelltown Arts Centre in Sydney’s South-west, originally designed by Tanner Kibble Denton Architects and completed in 2005, have recently been exhibited on the NSW government’s major projects planning portal.
FJC Studio were appointed as the principal consultant of the expansion project late last year. Their approach has been to draw on the local Dharawal landscape and culture to strengthen the site’s visual and physical connection with its context, while also helping to establish the centre’s role as a catalyst for a wider cultural precinct, as per a masterplan currently being developed by FJC Studio on behalf of the Campbelltown City Council.
The firm’s architectural design report notes that “the primary aim of the Campbelltown Arts Centre Expansion project is to enhance and grow a cultural centre that has an established reputation and value for its community.”
“The proposal responds to Campbelltown’s position as a regional centre by reinforcing the arts centre as a destination of cultural significance while remaining deeply connected to its immediate landscape setting,” it reads.
According to the plans, the project will involve a substantial extension and reorientation of the existing building with the aim of strengthening its connection to the Campbelltown city centre.
A new entry, facing towards Mount Annan, has been designed as a place for gathering, storytelling and performance. Additional forecourts along the building’s edges have been incorporated to accommodate various cultural practices, such as weaving and dance. Externally, the two-storey form has been sculpted with a series of organic curves that wrap around trees and “reject the hard-edged walls of many monuments to modern art,” the design report notes.
The project retains two portions of the existing building, including a northern wing with a cantilevered awning facing onto parkland. In place of the demolished fabric and across an upper storey, the design proposes expanded art gallery spaces; a new 350-seat, black-box-style theatre with back-of-house facilities and rehearsal spaces; dedicated art storage; educational workshop and community facilities; artists’ studios, workshops and residences; and large commercial spaces, including a cafe/restaurant, retail store and conference spaces. The proposed foyer and atrium have been designed to accommodate artworks and host artist talks, small performances and events.
At the time of FJC Studio’s appointment to the project, design director at FJC Studio Richard Francis-Jones commented, “This project will be more than a sum of its parts – gallery, theatre, conference and workshops. It will be the Campbelltown community’s cultural place, open to everyone to spend time, create and connect.”
The project is expected to be completed in 2029.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
