New images have been revealed of SANAA’s design for the expansion of the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, as the project has received a $244 million AUD ($186 million USD) commitment from the NSW Government, more than two-thirds of the project’s total estimated budget. A supplemental campaign will be launched later this year for the remaining $100 million, $70 million of which has already been pledged.
The SANAA-designed expansion will consist of a series of pavilions that sit “low and lightly on the site,” matching the existing topography of the land to complement the natural landscape reaching toward the Sydney Harbour and existing Gallery building. The addition will significantly increase the total floor area of the museum, including galleries dedicated to the display of Australian, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Asia Pacific art, as well as international galleries and specialized spaces for works of paper, photographs and the moving image.
The expansion will also focus on creating a connection between the indoor and outdoor, with a new outdoor cultural plaza designed to feature art displays, live performances and a variety of other events.
“Our expanded Gallery will deliver an iconic building that combines art, architecture and landscape in an extraordinary way, and in one of the most breathtaking locations in the world,” commented Art Gallery of NSW director Dr Michael Brand.
Refinements of the design concept will continue to be made leading up to the submission of a State Significant Development Application plan in the coming months.
Construction on the project is expected to begin in 2019, with a grand opening ceremony planning to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Gallery’s founding in 2021.
SANAA Chosen to Design New Building for Sydney's Art Gallery of New South Wales
A scheme by Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA has been unanimously selected as winner of an invited competition to design a new building for Sydney's Art Gallery of New South Wales.
