SEE&DO > Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney

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The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) stands as a cultural beacon in Sydney, Australia, tracing its roots back to 1871 when it was established as part of the Sydney International Exhibition when a Fine Arts Annexe building was established in the Botanical Gardens.

The fine arts commissioners of the NSW Academy of Fine Art decided that this was not going to be suitable and engaged church architect William Wardell. The resulting simple structure of steel and wood, with a central nave and two side aisles, had something of an ecclesiastical style. Half an acre in size and divided into nine galleries. It opened to the public on 10 November 1879 and the gallery has been in this location ever since.

When the exhibition closed in 1880, the government gave the building to the New South Wales Academy of Art and on 22 September 1880, the governor officially declared the refurbished building the ‘Art Gallery of New South Wales’.

COLLECTION

From its inception, AGNSW has been committed to fostering artistic appreciation and education. The gallery’s diverse collection includes works from renowned Australian artists, such as Tom Roberts and Sidney Nolan, as well as international masters like Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. The institution has consistently adapted to the changing art landscape, expanding its offerings to engage with a broader audience.

SYDNEY MODERN PROJECT – The North Building

With regular exhibitions of local and international masters there was an opportunity for the largest expansion in the galleries history a project considered to be the most significant cultural development in the city since to the building of the Sydney Opera House fifty years ago. Costing $344 million ‘Sydney Modern Project’ was designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA. Though it is a stand alone building it seamlessly integrates with the existing gallery while bringing a contemporary flair. The buildings are connected by a public art garden that looks out to Sydney Harbour. The new building has massive glass windows, soaring ceilings and there is an incredible sense of space in each of the gallery and common spaces. It is also the very first public art museum in Australia to achieve a 6-star Green Star design rating.

One of the architectural features was the adaptation and re-use of a decommissioned Second World War naval fuel bunker, now known as the Tank, which is a 2200-square-metre exhibition space that is one of Australia’s most unique art destinations.