Gallery Lane Cove

Gallery Lane Cove is a highly reconfigurable exhibition space for Lane Cove Council. The project was an adaptive re-use that transformed the previous Lane Cove Community Centre into a dedicated Art Gallery and Exhibition Space.

Gallery Lane Cove provides a vital new community asset for the Lane Cove Art Society, Centre house Arts and Leisure Inc. and the broader community.

Project outline
The facility incorporates art hanging space capable of holding the annual Council Art Awards, flexible space/s for workshops and seminars, storage area and office space. The project also includes a new reception area, upgrade to the outdoor terrace for creative space and for functions and a kitchen and food preparation area.

Building users
The facility caters for a variety of uses from offices, to exhibitions to art classes. Significant annual exhibitions include the annual Lane Cove Art Award, Lane Cove Art Members Showcase, The Eve Vonwiller Youth Art Award and the Lloyd Rees Memorial Youth Art Award.

Classes within the space will range from school holiday workshops in tie dying, mask-making, poster-making, printing, collage through street and poster art, to watercolour painting, painting & drawing, mixed media, print-making and abstract art.

Architectural Concept
The new foyer, defined by a bold composition of black & white joinery and ceiling elements, forms a threshold to flexible gallery spaces beyond. A series of operable panels slide and/or pivot to control light and surface area while facilitating multiple gallery configurations.

The ‘thick’ threshold contains a reception counter, offices and storage spaces. New bi-fold doors connect to an existing elevated terrace.

Project: Gallery Lane Cove
Type: Public building, adaptive re-use
Description: Adaptive re-use of an existing office space into a gallery and function centre
Location: Lane Cove, NSW
Client: Lane Cove Council
Year: Completed 2012
Area: 475 sqm gross floor area
Services: SK, DD, CD, TN and CN
Team: A DRAW project - John de Manincor (Principal at DRAW), Adam Russell (Principal at DRAW), Lorraine Yip, Imogene Tudor, Jack Pearce
Collaborators: Steensen Varming (Mechanical and Lighting), Centerhouse and Lane Cove Art Society.
Builder: GapComm Interiors
Photography: © Vim Design Pty Ltd
Project code: 1031