The NSW Art Gallery’s new wing, Sydney Modern, will step across the Cahill expressway and spill north down the Domain towards the harbour, under an ambitious plan to increase visits to the city’s pre-eminent gallery.
But the latest plan, though more modest than the first version released in 2015, is still likely to spark a furious debate about the loss of open space in Sydney.
The gallery argues the expansion, which will almost double its space, is necessary to address a significant decline in its popularity due to chronic underinvestment. It says it is important the expansion is on the same site, rather than establishing different campuses.
The environmental impact statement (EIS) released on Wednesday argues the new plans, by SANAA and Architectus, will qualitatively improve public space. It says the “original lightness” of the design – which involved pavilions cascading down the slope of the Domain – has been preserved, while less of the Domain will be lost.
The new wing has a total area of 7,830 sq m, of “which 78.8% is proposed above existing structures”, the EIS says.
This is achieved by building within a disused navy fuel bunker to create a new contemporary art space as well as building over the Cahill expressway.
The EIS argues only 1,658 sq m or 21.2% will be on currently unbuilt lands and as a tradeoff, there will be 3,257 sq m of publicly accessible external spaces, including the new entry plaza and accessible terraces. In addition, 572 sq m of rooftop gardens are proposed.
“The reduction in public open space is compensated for qualitatively through improving the biodiversity of the site, improving pedestrian access, and significantly improving quality of landscape spaces and embellishments,” the submission says.
The built form in the latest plan is also reduced from the initial 11,000 sq m, partly in response to criticism and partly due to budgetary constraints. The state government has allocated $244m towards the project.
But it is still likely to be controversial.
Although the most prominent critic of the initial project, former prime minister, Paul Keating, has apparently been won round to the new design by the gallery’s board, a number of prominent architects and citizens are marshalling against it, including Leo Schofield, urban planner David Chesterman and architect Andrew Andersons.
“The position of the Foundation and Friends of the Gardens has been consistently opposed to any loss of green space, the group says. “The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain are Sydney city’s most historically significant remnant green space.”
They argue the government has failed to consider other options for expanding the gallery, such as using the void under the Barangaroo headland as second site.
Don Harwin, NSW minister for the arts, said: “An expanded Art Gallery of NSW will deliver significant benefits to all of NSW by injecting more than $1bn into the NSW economy over 25 years and creating more than 240 full-time jobs.”
Gabrielle Upton, the environment minister, said the team behind the gallery expansion focused on a building that respected the heritage and environment of the area.
“As well as this, the gallery expansion will incorporate the latest building and operational technology to allow the gallery to achieve a five-star green star rating under the Green Building Council of Australia – a first for any museum in Australia,” she said.
“The Royal Botanic Garden and the Art Gallery of NSW are working together to deliver a fantastic result for the environment and the community.’’
