Mudgee Arts Precinct

Mudgee Arts Precinct is the heart of culture and art events in the central-west NSW town of Mudgee. Set within the broad fertile Cudgegong River valley, it’s a region where artisanal wineries and epicurean delights underpin a thriving tourist economy. BKA was involved with the precinct master planning, gallery design and refurbishment of the old Cudgegong Council Chambers which also occupies the site, with a view to enhancing the town’s cultural and arts strategy.

The heritage building was refurbished to include new offices, workshops and seminar areas organised across its two levels, while a striking new contemporary facility was built at a 45-degree angle to its Victorian neighbour, housing a series of gallery spaces for touring exhibitions, a tourism office, café and back-of-house storage.

The gallery emerges as a sculpture in the urban fabric, with its series of projecting bays and skylights, cloaked in a rust red, echoing the rural vernacular. Though a striking form, it respectfully defers to the Chambers with a roofline lower by several metres and using its angle and street setback to preserve primary views from Market Street. Importantly, the Mudgee Arts Precinct links seamlessly to The Lawson Park Sculpture Walk along the Cudgegong River, enhancing community and visitor engagement.

Mudgee Arts Precinct won a Public Architecture Award at the 2022 NSW Country Division Architecture Awards, and was a Finalist at the 2022 World Architecture Awards in Lisbon.