Snøhetta to design South Australian art gallery

The Hans Heysen Foundation has selected the Adelaide studio of Norwegian practice Snøhetta to design an art gallery and cultural precinct at The Cedars, the Adelaide Hills home of renowned father and daughter artists Hans Heysen and Nora Heysen.

In November 2019, the foundation called for Adelaide-based studios and practices to tender for the project. Thirty-one submissions were made and a shortlist of nine contenders were invited to present to a selection panel chaired by arts administrator Michael Lynch. Adelaide-based practice Ashley Halliday was the runner up.

The project will comprise a gallery, a restaurant, a gift shop and bushfire-safe storage facilities for artworks. Snøhetta’s Australasian managing director Kåre Krokene and Adelaide architect Heather Griffin will lead the project, and will also work with Adelaide-based designer-maker Jon Goulder on bespoke furniture.

The Cedars is a historic house, garden and studio purchased by Hans Heysen in 1912. It is Australia’s oldest artist studio able to be viewed. Around 200 original artworks of Hans and Nora Heysen are held at The Cedars. The foundation runs regular tours the house, studios and garden.

The federal government commited $9 million towards the construction of the gallery in the Adelaide City Deal announced in March 2019.

Hans Heysen was a German-born Australian artist best known for his watercolour paintings of Australian gum trees. Nora Heysen was the first women to win the Archibald prize in 1938.