A World Class Gallery Precinct in the Heart of Cairns
The proposed Cairns Gallery Precinct is a striking new arts and cultural precinct that will transform the city’s cultural heart and position Cairns on the global stage. Designed by COX in collaboration with CA Architects, the project for Cairns Regional Council connects three existing heritage-listed buildings with a bold, new, purpose-built AAA-rated gallery to create a connected destination for art, culture, and community.
Conceived as a 21st century art museum experience, the design is audience-centric, inclusive, and outward-looking. More than a collection of galleries, it is imagined as a living, breathing exhibition of the natural beauty of Cairns – architecture that responds to its tropical climate, landscape, and people.
The new gallery draws inspiration from the Gimuy fig trees of neighbouring Fogarty Park. Sculptural timber columns rise like trunks, branching into organic rooflines that provide shelter and shade. A carved, textural façade captures shifting tropical light, giving the building an ever-changing presence throughout the day. From morning brightness to evening glow, the architecture becomes part of the natural theatre of Cairns.
Inside, the galleries balance technical precision with a sense of openness and warmth. AAA-rated spaces allow the precinct to host major touring international exhibitions, while flexible layouts and interconnected rooms ensure it can adapt to local programming, school groups, workshops, and community events. Circulation flows naturally, drawing visitors between heritage and contemporary buildings, from intimate exhibition spaces to expansive lobbies and outdoor courtyards.
Materiality plays a critical role in making the building both contemporary and welcoming. Natural timbers and robust finishes are paired with light-filled interiors, creating a tactile, human-scaled environment that feels deeply connected to its place. Framed openings offer curated views to the surrounding landscape, a reminder that the tropics are as much a part of the experience as the art inside.
The design extends beyond the gallery walls to engage with its city. Courtyards, laneways, and shaded civic plazas stitch the precinct into the CBD, waterfront, and esplanade. These connections ensure the precinct is not an isolated institution but a magnetic destination, embedded in the life of Cairns and inviting exploration day and night.
Heritage is respected, with the Courthouse and Mulgrave Shire Office reimagined with new purpose, revitalised as part of the cultural fabric of the precinct. Rather than standing apart, they are woven into the visitor journey, with old and new blending seamlessly into one cohesive civic place.
Central to the project is its connection with Country. Developed with guidance from Blaklash and senior expertise within QAGOMA, the design is shaped by the concept of ‘First Nations First Experience’. In close collaboration with the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji people – Traditional Owners of the land – the design process centred on co-design and knowledge sharing to ensure the precinct authentically reflects Gimuy stories, culture, and identity. This collaboration informed opportunities across the site, from the Bulmba Gathering Space and Courthouse Gallery to integrated artworks and landscape interventions that speak to Gimuy Country. Expressed through murals and works representing key ancestral clans of the region, visitors are welcomed with a genuine connection to Country – one that celebrates Gimuy culture and provides a sense of welcome, occupation and gathering.
Landscape is also integral to this vision, with a ‘gallery in a garden’ forming the heart of the precinct. The integration of lush greenery, meandering pathways, and interactive outdoor spaces create an immersive and inviting environment, blurring the edge between art and nature; indoor and outdoor. Amphitheatres and civic lawns invite performance and celebration, ensuring the precinct is always active, alive, and open to all.
The Cairns Gallery Precinct is designed to deliver a legacy for the region and community and is currently awaiting funding opportunities to proceed to the next phase. If realised, it will attract national and international visitors, strengthen cultural tourism, and create opportunities for education, employment, and cultural exchange. Most importantly, it will belong to the people of Cairns as a civic place that celebrates culture, fosters pride, and welcomes all.