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most remarkable astonishments, not least
because the practice was awarded the
hotly contested commission over architec-
tural titans including Renzo Piano, David
Chipperfield, and Herzog & de Meuron.
Expectations were high. So too is SANAA's
capacity for vision. In this case: elegant,
fluid, precise. An art show.
"By integrating art, the topography of the
site and the surrounding landscape, we
hope to create an art museum experience
that is distinctive to Sydney," said SANAA
of their initial ambition for the project.
Making good on that promise, they created
three limestone-clad art pavilions that
gently slope down towards the harbour and
a series of accessible roof "art terraces"
and courtyards. Along with a large civic
plaza and entrance pavilion that leads to a
soaring double-height atrium is twice the
exhibition space and galleries galore—
one is column-free, another is dedicated
to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island art,
and yet another, located in the bowels of
the building, is a former WWII fuel tanker
turned unique and somewhat mysterious
art space that will house major art commis-
sions and installations, including a moody
inaugural exhibition from Argentinian
sculptor Adrian Villar Rojas. Industrial and
gritty, with a sculptural spiral staircase
making its own stark-white statement, this
space is of a completely different tone than
the venue's light-infused, aboveground
counterparts, lending the venue a dynamic,
almost haunted, tension.
In support of SANAA's design efforts,
Australia-based firm Architectus led urban
planning on the project. "We saw our role
on Sydney Modern as a vital one, taking
the design from paper to place," says
John Jeffrey, the firm's senior associate
and the technical and delivery lead. "We
developed the SANAA design vision in a
way that maintained its simplicity and light-
ness of form without ever sacrificing design
quality on the project." This includes
industry-leading design solutions for the
project's complex steel structures, stone
cladding, rammed earth walls, and clear
glass facades and roofs. Furthermore, "By
steering the project to a 6-star Green Star
Top: Exterior view of the Welcome Plaza of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' new building, featuring Yayoi Kusama Flowers that Bloom in the Cosmos 2022, photo © Iwan Baan
Middle: Interior view of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' new SANAA-designed building, 2022, photo © Iwan Baan
Bottom: Aerial view of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' new SANAA-designed building, 2022, photo © Iwan Baan
5.19.23 | DIGS.NET 51
