Recipient of the 2017 Sulman Medal for Public Architecture in the NSW Architecture Awards, Orange Regional Museum creates a new cultural precinct by integrating a new structure into an existing site alongside the public library and art gallery.

Crone’s innovative response to the brief creates a new cultural precinct by integrating a new structure into an existing site alongside the public library and art gallery, layering the program into three parts: Building + Landscape + Events.

With Orange being a culturally progressive, regional area with a strong arts scene, we were confident our contemporary design would be embraced by the local community and be reflective of the current culture of Orange.

The building envelope maintains a line‐of‐sight to the gallery while creating a new civic square, event space and cafe to house new and existing art and sculpture. The resolution of the complex, angular geometry was critical for a building with a minimal material palette of concrete, glazing, metal panels and grass and a continuous concrete‐edge beam that wraps the entire facade, accentuating the form.

Seating stairs create an amphitheatre and provide access to the sloping landscaped roof, a defining feature that rises from the existing lawn to provide a public green space and vantage point across Orange. Blurring the distinction between architecture and landscape, the grassed area was designed for flexible use as an outdoor exhibition area or simply an area for visitors to relax.

The Australian Institute of Architects jury commented, “This bold, large-scale intervention re-organises a whole city block through the application of a combined landscape, architectural and urban solution. Simple, bold and confident moves have created a destination for locals and visitors, which provide a clear and active address to the larger civic precinct.

A variety of robust public spaces lend themselves to engagement and activation and every surface of the architecture becomes a programmable element. The building’s roof forms a stepped amphitheater for events at the heart of a civic precinct and a folded lawn provides views back across the town.  The museum interior is open and flexible allowing it to fluidly evolve as the curatorship requires.  Its plan is tightly packed to ensure adequate public address, with circulation around its perimeter.  The Museum’s strong architectural form acts to pivot street life into a new public square, fronted by the Museum and the existing Orange Library and Gallery, itself a Sulman award winning project.”