Client: Mid-Western Regional Council
Location: Mudgee
Sector: Sports & Community

The Mudgee Arts Precinct - Gallery sits at the heart of art and culture in north-western New South Wales. The new building stems from the long-awaited refurbishment and expansion of the former Cudgegong Shire facility, featuring office spaces, workshops and seminar areas across the two levels. Meanwhile, the gallery attachment contains exhibition space for visiting collections, a tourism office, and sculpture garden. 

The new addition has its own architectural character that springboards off its predecessor. Sitting at a 45-degree axis, the gallery purposely juxtaposes with the traditional order of its Victorian neighbour. The roof forms are dramatic, fragmenting and sailing in opposing directions. 

Skylights project from the roof in a sculptural manner, figuratively capturing the essence of the original chimneys. With projecting bays of deep red, the gallery emerges as a sculpture in the landscape, both a contemporary icon and a homage to Australian natural and cultural history.

Photography: Brett Boardman