Over the last week, we’ve seen the new Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) start to take shape with the installation of the final external finish commencing. The four sides of the $49.9 million building are L-shaped plates, each of different heights that make up the building’s vertical facades and canopy.
The facade on each side of the building is of a different metallic finish; low sheen zinc to the southern approach; matt soft charcoal above the entry to SAM on Wyndham Street; metallic mid-grey facing the park; and rich ochre-red Corten steel facing the lake and river plain.
The installation of the four facades should be completed over the next few months according to Greater Shepparton City Council Director Infrastructure, Phil Hoare.
“It’s pretty exciting to see the facades being installed,” he said. “This is the step that marks a major milestone for external works and is important for the construction program as it allows the interior fit out to be completed. We look forward to seeing the facade completed on all four sides. The initial panels on the north facade give us a glimpse of the finished look of the building.”
The new SAM building will house the museum, visitor centre, Kaiela Arts gallery and studio, café and viewing deck and terrace overlooking the Victoria Park Lake. Stage One of construction is set to be completed in the coming months, with Stage Two (car park and landscaping) to begin later this year.
