Guesthouse and Art Museum near Sydney
- Jakob Schoof
In the guesthouse of Bundanon, a three hour drive south of Sydney, the wonders of art and nature are close together. Towards the east, views are directed to Shoalhaven River below. A nature park is situated westward. And only a few steps separate the entrance to the hotel from Bundanon Art Museum, both created at the same time. The latter houses the works of Australian painter Arthur Boyd (1920 - 99). The state-owned foundation that manages Boyd's legacy is also the client for whom Kerstin Thompson Architects created the new structures. The building volumes could not be any more different from each other: one is a museum made of exposed concrete and largely set below grade, while the other is a steel bridge that comprises the guesthouse, 165 m long and 9 m wide, reaching far into the landscape. Flood protection, fire protection and barrier free access were essential factors that influenced the design. In addition, the new structures were not supposed to compete with the Boyd Education Center, built by Glenn Murcutt, Reg Lark and Wendy Lewin in 1999, farther towards the south of the site. Raised 23 m above the river, the ground floor of the guesthouse is considered flood proof and matches the museum entrance level. The bridge spans across a valley basin. When strong precipitation occurs, large quantities of water flow through it towards Shoalhaven. The building was also required to maintain a distance to the nature park and the bushfire hazard originating from it. The steel structure with dark painted finish is inspired by historic trestle bridges that, in earlier days, served to raise railway lines above flood plains in Australia and the USA.
