City of Greater Bendigo
Bendigo Art Gallery is one of Australia's leading regional art museums, renowned for presenting exhibitions and programs that attract a wide audience.
Recent years have seen the Gallery grow rapidly, drawing national attention and growing visitation. With that success came a challenge: its physical space could no longer meet the demand.
To address this, City of Greater Bendigo, with strong support from the Bendigo Art Gallery Board, commissioned SGS to undertake a feasibility study and business case to expand the Gallery's footprint, allowing it to extend its programming and magnify its impact.
We prepared a Concept Plan and Business Case for the redevelopment of the Bendigo Art Gallery. Architecture firm Edition Office was engaged as a subcontractor.
We used a collaborative approach, drawing on background research, engagement with the client and stakeholders, and benchmarking against leading examples, to develop the following outputs for the preferred solution:
- Investment logic map and supporting rationale
- Functional plan, concept plans and 3D visualisation
- Financial and socioeconomic appraisal
- Regional economic impact assessment
- Implementation pathway and timeline.
These outputs were designed to give external investors confidence by clearly addressing the key questions:
- Why is this proposed investment needed?
- How does it align with the Gallery's strategy and the objectives of external investors?
- How much will it cost and how long will it take to deliver?
- What financial, economic, social and environmental benefits will be generated?
- Is it worth the effort, and will ongoing operations be sustainable?
- Are adequate plans in place to ensure successful project delivery by Council?
The $45 million redevelopment is now being funded by the Victorian Government, the City of Greater Bendigo, the Gallery’s Board and philanthropic supporters, paving the way for an expanded gallery that can meet future demand and deepen its cultural impact across the region.
