Architecture studio Fore Design has completed a new gallery and cultural landmark to house the Hans and Nora Heyson collection in Hahndorf, South Australia. The Heyson Gallery was designed to protect, showcase and interpret the Heysen collection while remaining deeply connected to the landscape that inspired it.

Located within The Cedars, the Adelaide Hills property where artist Hans Heysen lived and worked for over 60 years and where daughter Nora Heyson was born and raised, the Gallery combines contemporary exhibition and archival facilities that continue to tell the story of the Heyson family and artistic legacy.

German-born Australian artist Hans Heyson (1877–1968) became a household name during his lifetime for his expressive watercolour and oil paintings of the Australian bush landscape. His fourth daughter Nora Heyson (1911–2003) went on to become the first woman to win the Archibald Prize in 1938 for portraiture and work as an Australian war artist.

“From the outset, the vision was to create a lasting home for the Hans and Nora Heysen collection,” says Scott Robinson, design director and principal at Fore Design. “We wanted to create a place that not only protects these important works for future generations, but also feels intrinsically connected to the landscape that inspired so much of their creation.”

Celebrating The Cedars

The design concept takes its cue from the character of The Cedars and the wider Adelaide Hills region. Upon arrival, guests are immediately greeted by a hardwood colonnade and façade, which reference the native surrounding bushland and towering eucalyptus trees that populate both the property and many of Hans Heyson’s landscape paintings.

Bringing a contemporary edge to the site, the building features an ochre-pigmented concrete façade, which is articulated through panel joints tightly spaced to reinforce the vertical design language.

Fore Design chose materials based on the Gallery’s location within a high bushfire risk area. The resulting palette balances durability, resilience and performance while maintaining a sense of warmth and a strong connection to the land.

Environmental stewardship

Using an iterative approach, the design was constantly refined and tweaked to reduce its impact on the native vegetation and safeguard existing mature trees. The majority of the development was located within the existing exotic pine plantation, minimising harm to the iconic landscape that defines The Cedars.

A key part of project was the work undertaken by Flex Planning, which managed a complex planning approval process involving heritage, native vegetation and CFS (Country Fire Service) considerations, helping guide the project to its successful final approval.

Curating the visitor experience

The Gallery’s interior elements were also enhanced through the work of Fore Design interior designer Emily Nitschke, whose thoughtful scheme added another layer of refinement to the visitor experience.

The interior palette continues the use of timber, with built-in display shelves and strip lighting in the gift shop, and a colour palette that draws directly on Australia’s warm clay and red earth tones. Timber furnishings complement the pared back, clean interiors, allowing the artworks to remain the focus.

Operational realities were factored into the design, especially the day-to-day requirements of the cultural institution being supported by a volunteer community. Throughout the design process, Fore Design refined the building footprint to create a more efficient, manageable and cost-effective facility while maintaining the quality of the visitor experience.

Construction partner Marshall & Brougham was crucial in bringing the project to life, with Andrew Marshall and his team delivering the building while overcoming challenging weather conditions and a demanding construction environment.

Investing in an artistic and family legacy

Funded through the Adelaide City Deal, the Heysen Gallery represents an important investment in heritage conservation, cultural tourism and regional communities. For visitors, it provides an immersive setting to engage with the work of father and daughter artists Hans and Nora Heysen within the very landscape that shaped their artistic vision.

For The Cedars, the Gallery secures the long-term preservation of a nationally significant collection for future generations to enjoy.

Images: Supplied by Fore Design.