TPG Architects is honoured to announce the Mulgrave Gallery has been awarded two prestigious accolades, most recently the Don Roderick Award for Heritage Architecture at the 2025 Queensland Architecture Awards, following the Eddie Orbin Award for Building of the Year at the Far North Queensland Regional Architecture Awards.
“Mulgrave Gallery sets a new benchmark for adaptive reuse in regional Queensland, preserving the spirit of the original building while enabling a new cultural life within its walls.”
The Eddie Orbin Award highlighted Mulgrave Gallery's pivotal role as the final addition to the Cairns Gallery Precinct, joining the Cairns Art Gallery and Courthouse Gallery—three meticulously restored heritage-listed landmarks. Judges praised the project for enhancing Cairns’ architectural legacy and cultural vibrancy.
The jury at the Queensland Architecture Awards further recognised TPG Architects’ careful and insightful restoration, underscoring the thoughtful integration of contemporary gallery standards with the preservation of significant heritage elements. Extensive historical research and meticulous detailing have brought the building's storied past vividly into the present.
Particularly noted was the gallery’s strategic contribution to the Cairns Gallery Precinct, creating enhanced public access and cohesive engagement across the precinct's heritage sites. This considered approach establishes new, inviting spaces for exhibitions, events, and public interaction.
The transformation of the Mulgrave Gallery not only enriches the local cultural landscape but also positions Cairns prominently within northern Australia’s cultural tourism sector, delivering tangible economic and social benefits to the community.
TPG Architects extends heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated project team, the Cairns Regional Council, and all collaborators and consultants whose vision and commitment made these achievements possible. The project now advances to consideration for the 2025 National Architecture Awards, with winners to be announced at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra in November.
For further information about Mulgrave Gallery’s acclaimed heritage architecture and to see the full Jury Citation, visit the Australian Institute of Architects project page.