Orange Regional Museum: A Masterpiece of Modern Architecture

Designers Niall Durney and Ashley Dennis Create an Iconic Community Centre

The design inspiration for the museum came from the desire to repair the fractured space between the existing public library and art gallery. The solution was to create an integrated building, landscape, and event space that would seamlessly blend into the existing area and establish a cultural precinct. The interior spaces were designed to be flexible and adaptable, encouraging repeat visitations to the temporary and permanent exhibitions, functions, and various community events.

What sets the Orange Regional Museum apart is its unique design properties. The building connects a series of previously unsuccessful public open spaces and disparate buildings by incorporating layers of building, landscape, and events. This integration creates a new identity and strengthens civic conditions within the site. The design can be experienced in different ways as visitors move around, up, or through the building, blurring the distinction between architecture and landscape.

The realization of this design was achieved through a minimal material palette of concrete, glazing, metal panel, and grass. The building envelope is shaped to accentuate a line-of-sight to the existing library and gallery, giving prominence to a significant public building. The public domain strategy incorporates a new civic square to accommodate events while large seating steps create a public amphitheatre and a ramp loops the building, providing access to the lawn.

The design project, located in the City of Orange, a regional town 260km northwest of Sydney, Australia, was awarded to Niall Durney and Ashley Dennis via a competitive tender process in early-2013. The project was completed and launched in November 2016. The design had to overcome several challenges, including the constraints of the site and the need to connect a variety of programs, pedestrian routes, and view lines with a strong presence to the city centre and adjacent park.

The Orange Regional Museum has been recognized for its exceptional design, winning the Golden A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2018. This award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.