Urban Initiatives managing director Tim Hart says the awards recognise years of collaborative design and community engagement behind the Shepparton Art Museum landscape project.
Earlier this month, the Shepparton Art Museum added to its growing list of accolades, receiving both a Regional Achievement Award and a Landscape Architecture Award for Tourism.
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The honours were presented at the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Victorian Chapter’s awards night, which recognises the state’s most outstanding design projects.
SAM’s dual recognition marked a proud milestone for the teams behind the ambitious project.
Urban Initiatives managing director Tim Hart said the awards were a significant achievement and a testament to the collaborative effort involved in bringing the vision to life.
“Since its opening, SAM has become an important regional tourism and cultural hub that brings people of all ages and cultural backgrounds together in a shared appreciation of art and landscape,” Mr Hart said.
“We’re also delighted our landscape work has been recognised, alongside the increased visitation and boost to tourism since the gallery opened.”
The project began as a long-term vision in 2016, with concept work by Urban Initiatives’ founding director, Bruce Echberg, and detailed design led by Dylan Dodds.
Mr Hart said the team worked closely with project architects Denton Corker Marshall to ensure a seamless integration between the striking gallery building and its surrounding landscape.
“With four distinct and contrasting facades, the landscape was designed to reflect and respond to each of them,” he said.
“The seven-metre-high grass ‘Art Hill’ embeds the building within the ground plane, conceals its services and provides a vantage point to view Shepparton, Victoria Park Lake and the adjoining red gum floodplain.
“The Art Hill also links with the 150-seat amphitheatre and provides spillover space for the on-site café.”
A strong emphasis was placed on local collaboration, with Urban Initiatives engaging a wide range of key parties and community members throughout the design process.
The Arts Courtyard was created in partnership with Yorta Yorta representatives and artists from the Kaiela Arts Group.
Native plant species were selected for their cultural and artistic significance, including traditional uses in basket weaving, dyeing and painting.
“The courtyard also features Shadows — a series of light box artworks by local artists Tori Day, Tahnee Day and Dylan Charles, which depict generational stories of connection to the region’s rivers and waterways,” Mr Hart said.
“The City of Greater Shepparton and Shepparton Art Museum were great supporters of the project and valued the impact a high-quality landscape would bring to the site.
“Project architects DCM were integral to the design and construction process, while builders — Kane Constructions — and landscape contractor Michael Hatton were key collaborators during construction, working closely with local contractors and specialists to bring the landscape design to life.
“The addition of SAM has consolidated this site as the primary public open space and a major tourist attraction for Shepparton, which is something we are immensely proud of at Urban Initiatives.”
An aerial view of the Shepparton Art Museum and its surrounding landscape, including the sculpted Art Hill.
Photo by
Tim Griffith
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