Expansion approved for the Art Gallery of NSW

The $344 million Sydney Modern expansion of the Art Gallery of NSW has received planning approval to nearly double the exhibition space.

Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects SANAA, construction of the new Sydney Modern building will begin in early 2019 and will be completed in time for the gallery’s 150th anniversary in 2021.

It is the only art museum in Australia to receive a 6-star Green Star design rating by the Green Building Council of Australia. 

The project will expand the display of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks, with visitors entering the new building seeing indigenous art first. It will also welcome visiting exhibitions.

The Sydney Modern Project will create a better link between the gallery and the Royal Botanic Garden. The Art Garden, featuring commissions from national and international artists, will connect the gallery’s new and existing buildings.

It is envisaged that the Sydney Modern Project will inject over $1 billion into the NSW economy over 25 years and double the number of visitors to the Art Gallery of NSW.

NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin said this approval paves the way for the gallery to become one of the world’s great art museums with visitation expected to increase to two million people a year.

Minister Harwin stated “community feedback has played a vital role in finalising this remarkable project, and I congratulate everyone involved in the community consultation process that got us to where we are today – a green light for the Sydney Modern Project.

“The vision from SANAA for the new building is breathtaking, and I know when we open the doors to the expanded gallery, people from around NSW, Australia and across the world will marvel at what has been achieved for our state.”

Image: Architectural render of the Sydney Modern plan.