2023 Gallery
Award: Public Design
Design Architect: SANAA, Executive Architect: Architectus for Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Modern building
The extension of the Art Gallery of New South Wales building designed by SANAA is the centrepiece of the once-in-a-generation transformation of the Art Gallery of NSW on Gadigal Country overlooking Sydney Harbour. By integrating art, architecture and landscape, the design has delivered an art museum experience distinctive to Sydney.
Jury Citation
The jury sees Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Modern as the building that truly serves the public in terms of a place to convene and experience the greatest exemplar of design in Australia. It’s a one-in-a-generation transformation, where art, architecture and landscape come together. The combination of interlocking 3D voids and the white glowing spiral stair that carries visitors down to the extraordinary Oil Tank gallery is very strong in its resolve. Its materiality is gorgeous, expressed through the folded ground plane and lightweight tent-like structure above, which together deliver an enticing cross-section. One of the most exciting things about this project is its large, generous city-scale interiors and their visual connection to the city itself. Overall, it’s an absolutely delightful interior that serves as a consequence of its formal resolution.
