CRAFT and Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections, Sovereign Hill
Client
Sovereign Hill Museum Association
Type
Community
Scope
Reimagining of existing interior application for community-based trade training
Location
389 Bradshaw St, Golden Point, VIC
Outcomes
The existing Gold Museum was converted to two centres of deep learning and research that include the nationally significant Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades (CRAFT) and Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections (ACGRC).
The Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections builds on Sovereign Hill’s rich collections and provide visitors with greater accessibility to the culturally significant collection. The ACGRC is located in close proximity to CRAFT providing an opportunity to connect contemporary practice with the richness of the entire museum collection. CRAFT imagines a world where contemporary practice and future innovation is supported by a dedication to expertise and skill sharing.
The project presented us with exciting design opportunities to reveal some of the building’s original features, honouring its past whilst enlivening the design for use by a whole new generation of creatives by accommodating six workshop spaces (specialised for metal, woodworking, silversmithing, and more) for bookable public programming. The result in the design and construction of this project were achieved in partnership with local industry and trades, this has been transformative in delivering interior strategies.
This new Centre enables enhanced public access to the diverse and culturally significance collections. The Centre is a state-of-the-art collections facility, expanding upon the existing collection storage facility at the transformed Gold Museum, and maintaining best practice security and environmental standards.
Photography: Kate Berry, Jinwoo Jung, Christopher Puro
