PROJECTS
The interior is clad in wood and painted black with a gradient transition to resemble the smoke heated cabins the Finns used. By letting smoke pour out at the top of the ceiling the houses were kept warm leaving ash coloured traces as horizontal lines along the walls.
The judges felt that the shortlisted projects highlighted the range of possibilities within Adaptive Reuse, highlighting fantastic examples of what’ s possible in this category. They were all in agreement that there was one clear winner on the day.
David Jennings was impressed with the simple but strong concept,“ I think it’ s understood how an existing building might be adapted in the future, but addresses the fact that you want to make the building different. It’ s an incredibly simple but very strong concept. I feel the architects have fully understood the brief and actually taken it a step further, by allowing the building to be adapted further overtime.”
The fact that the project was achieved on a low budget also impressed the judges, Ziona Strelitz says,“ I love the fact that this project is so low cost but has such high impact.” Mat Cash continues,“ It’ s a very low cost, quite innovative approach to an existing building.”
Nina Rappaport particularly liked the combination of old and new styles,“ The new raw timber cladding provides a view through to the historic building that becomes a shadow in the form, allowing for integration of old and new in a clever and composed design. The interior surprises while it also attests to the historic value of the site.”
Jennings concludes,“ I think the concept is so clear and so strong, it takes this project to another level.”
The brief asked for exhibition spaces for permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well library and archives. In addition, the architects were asked to alter the appearance of the building to clearly signal its new purpose as an outward public institution. The original building had, in its central positioning, some public qualities, but it clearly wasn ' t a museum. These communicative challenges proved to be what informed the design and strategy for future development.
Logs cover the old school that has been painted black to appear only as a shadow behind the screen of timber.
30 APRIL / MAY 2017 //