Norval Foundation: A Modern Pavilion for Art

dhk Architects' Award-winning Design Balances Art Protection and Landscape Views

The Norval Foundation, an art museum, is a pure expression of form. Its design features a bold rectangular mass, delineating its heavy-walled enclosure and light oversailing roof. The building's linear circulation spine is positioned along the edge of the site, with the galleries facing the natural landscape, capturing framed views of the wetland, vineyards, and mountains beyond. The technical requirements for the gallery spaces in terms of environment-control consider careful control of light, temperature and humidity, acoustics, and fire prevention.

The materials used for the Norval Foundation are raw and honest, primarily precast concrete, natural timber, granite, and glass, providing contrast with the natural landscape. Clerestory windows allow the roof to float above the heavy walls and allow soft indirect natural light to penetrate the interiors. Externally, the precast concrete is finished with a chamfered tartan grid, drawing the eye upwards and lengthways, emphasizing the scale of the building. Internally, timber panelling is used to bring warmth to the spaces.

The main contractor, WBHO, set up a manufacturing site to create the concrete panels. This included twenty casting platforms to achieve the manufacturing programme of casting 23 panels per week, a total of 501 panels. 76 types of moulds were created including window sills, flat external panels, external corner panels, patterned panels, and capping panels.

The Norval Foundation is experienced in a linear sequence. A curved wall that extends into the entrance court, draws visitors past the double volume restaurant, gallery shop, and into the reception which directs guests to the central atrium that introduces the galleries. The gallery spaces comprise an environmentally-controlled special exhibitions space, and a series of eight other gallery spaces culminating in a triple volume sculpture gallery. The first floor includes the offices, library, bar, a further gallery space, and artist’s residence.

The site includes an incredibly sensitive wetland ecosystem that had been historically neglected and had to be completely rehabilitated. It is also one of the last known breeding sites of the endangered Western Leopard Toad. To allow the toads’ safe passage, concrete culverts were constructed underneath the road, with embankments and earth ramps designed to let the toads move easily across the site. As the art storage is situated underground, the challenge there was to create a sealed space that is carefully environmentally controlled for the safe storage of the artworks.

The Norval Foundation was awarded Golden in A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2019. The Golden A' Design 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.