At the Council meeting on December 4, 2023, Council resolved to share with the community the findings of a preliminary business case for a new Warrnambool Art Gallery building at the existing gallery site at the corner of Liebig and Timor streets.
You can read the business case in full hereor read the summary below.
The business case revealed a new Warrnambool Art Gallery would contribute to the economic growth of Warrnambool and the region through increased visitation, expenditure and additional jobs.
Key business case findings were:
• There is a major opportunity to generate more “out of town” visitors to the art gallery by providing an interesting destination and experience that is in addition to the existing “natural” attributes of the area.
• The existing structure of the Day Tour industry to the Great Ocean Road could be re-structured to include Warrnambool as an overnight stay destination, providing not only additional visitation to the Art Gallery, but also an opportunity to drive demand for accommodation and meals and therefore the increase visitor spend in the region.
• There is untapped demand for a wider range of leisure / tourism activities than what has traditionally been on offer at Warrnambool. Visitors are interested in seeing what is here to see, taste and experience. This market is a real opportunity as 40% of the projects survey sample have been to Warrnambool in the last 5 years and a newly reactivated Warrnambool Art Gallery would provide the ‘thing to do now’.
• Focus on Aboriginal Art & Culture, set within the overall Gallery’s wider offering. Visitor interest in, and attendance at, First Nations arts and craft activities has continued to increase in recent years. The Australia Council’s National Arts participation survey found that nearly half of all Australians are actively interested in First Nations arts (47%) and seven million attended in 2016 – a record level of attendance and double that of 2009.
• The estimated capital cost for the investment of a new Warrnambool Art Gallery is $52.5 million excluding escalation (changes in costs over time) and GST.
• A new gallery presents a positive return on investment with a cost-benefit ratio of 1.16, that is, the total benefits of the project are 1.16 times the total cost.
The architects tested the functional layout to against the opportunities and constraints of the site. The key criteria were to:
o Create greater connection to Timor and Liebig Streets to enhance the Art Gallery’s presence as a landmark within central Warrnambool.
o Invigorate Civic Green and improve functionality and accessibility to the public open space.
o Maintain connection from Timor Street through to Smith Avenue.
o Respectfully respond to existing heritage buildings on the site.
o Allow for car parking and efficient loading for larger vehicles.
o Address the low-level residential setting of Smith Avenue.
o Use the northerly aspect to enhance natural light and amenity.
Preliminary designs - two options - are below.
Above: Strategy 1 architectural rendering.
Above: Strategy 1 layout.
Above: Strategy 2 architectural rendering.
Above: Strategy 2 layout.
Questions?
Check out answers to frequently asked questions here.
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