Multimillion-dollar Hans Heysen art gallery proposed for Hahndorf
Plans have been revealed for a new multimillion-dollar cultural precinct in the heart of the Adelaide Hills, the third attempt.
Adelaide Hills & Murraylands
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The Adelaide Hills is set to welcome a new multimillion-dollar cultural precinct if planning applications are approved.
The operators of Hans Heysen’s Cedars property at Hahndorf have submitted plans to Planning SA to open a $9m art gallery to showcase the Heysen family’s collection of art and cultural artefacts.
There were two previous attempts to launch the project in 2018 and 2021.
Tori Dixon-Whittle, the CEO of The Cedars Hans Heysen Foundation hopes to open the two-storey gallery to the public within 18 months.
She said the two-storey building would enable the foundation to showcase pieces it hasn’t had the opportunity to display yet.
“It will be a remarkable cultural precinct that will draw like-minded people together but also educate the broader public about the value of arts and culture,” Ms Dixon-Whittle said.
“(The gallery) will allow all who come to really immerse themselves in the extraordinary history of the region.”
The $9m upgrade to the property is funded entirely by the government’s $699m Adelaide City Deal.
The two-storey gallery has been designed by Snøhetta and will showcase not only the Heysen family collection but also exhibitions from other artists.
Current plans include only an art gallery for now, however Ms Dixon-Whittle said there are plans for a restaurant in the future.
The foundation also plans to welcome off-grid sustainable accommodation company CABN to host 12 “eco pods” on the property as well.
Hans Heysen, who died in 1968, was a German immigrant who moved to South Australia as a six-year-old, and became one of Australia’s greatest artists.
He left a legacy of not only his art but the original house, known as The Cedars, and the studio he had built in 1913.
Mr Heysen’s daughter Nora Heysen was the first woman to win the prestigious Archibald Prize for portraiture and was Australia’s first woman war artist.
“It (the gallery) really enables a beautiful interaction between the whole of the historic precinct,” Ms Dixon-Whittle said.
The operators of The Cedars have proposed multiple cultural precincts over the years, including a “light box” in 2018.
Following the “light box” plans, The Cedars’ submitted new plans in 2021. However, after receiving native vegetation reports back with recommendations to move the gallery site to avoid cutting down trees, the plans were adapted and resubmitted in a new location on the property.
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