Construction of Sydney Modern to Commence 2019

The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) announced on November 21 that government planning consent for the museum’s new building, the Sydney Modern Project, has been attained, and that construction will start in early 2019.

Designed by Pritzker-winning architects SANAA, the new extension will double the museum’s exhibition space, allowing for more comprehensive displays of its collection of pre-modern, modern and contemporary art from the Asia-Pacific region. The building will include a space dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, a gallery for contemporary art reconstructed from a Second World War oil tank, as well as sections for family and education programs. The extension’s design also incorporates strategies geared toward environmental sustainability, such as mechanisms for rainwater harvesting, extensive solar panels and a seawater heating exchange system for air-conditioning. 

The Sydney Modern Project is estimated to cost AUD 344 million (USD 249 million), of which the New South Wales government has funded AUD 244 million (USD 177 million), while the Gallery is nearing its fundraising goal of AUD 100 million (USD 72 million), contributed by private sources. 

Construction of the Sydney Modern Project is estimated to be complete in 2021. The AGNSW is expecting to welcome two million visitors annually. 

Dennis Mao is an editorial intern of ArtAsiaPacific.

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