Culture Spotlight – Art Museums and Galleries

Western Australia Museum Boola Bardip by OMA and Hassell

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Shining beneath the sunlight and glittering throughout the night, the Western Australia Museum Boola Bardip is a collaborative project between OMA and Hassell, where the past and the present have been fused together. With exhibitions, events, retail and dining opportunities throughout, Hassell and the OMA team, led by David Gianotten and OMA Australia Director Paul Jones, envisaged Boola Bardip to be the framework that shares Western Australia’s diverse stories with the world. Rousing conversation, the exterior is a mixture of heritage and contemporary structures that complement one another – from the preserved buildings that evoke the location’s social and cultural history to the perforated metal façade that gestures towards the present-day setting. Finished with a central point for visitors to gather around, the City Room invites guests to explore and learn what makes Boola Bardip home to the multicultural history of Western Australia.

Working closely with the National Trust and community groups, the architects’ specific design choices ensured that the cultural significance of Ngununggula remained at the forefront of the design process.

Ngununggula Southern Highlands Regional Gallery by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer

East Bowral, New South Wales, Australia

Positioned within the leafy grounds of Retford Park, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer embraces a sensitive approach to the design of Ngununggula Southern Highlands Regional Gallery. Working closely with the National Trust and community groups, the architects’ specific design choices ensured that the cultural significance of Ngununggula remained at the forefront of the design process. Following a brief that required the incorporation of flexible and engaging gallery spaces, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer reimagined three buildings within Retford Park – the adaptive re-use of a grand Dairy Building, an associated vet clinic and the addition of a new contemporary pavilion. Retaining the cultural significance of the original buildings, newly built gallery walls have been separated from the original masonry. Where possible, the careful peeling back of the new walls allowed Tonkin Zulaikha Greer to expose the repaired and conserved heritage fabric, enabling visitors to experience a deeper connection with the historic building.

Accommodating a floodway and including Passive House principles by delivering an energy efficient, thermally comfortable and healthy indoor environment, SAM is the first Australian art museum to achieve a 6-star Green Star rating.

Shepparton Art Museum by Denton Corker Marshall

Shepparton, Victoria, Australia

From the exterior, Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is characterised by simplicity and clarity yet it also conjures a fierce presence on site. In doing this, Denton Corker Marshall has generated an innovative cultural destination in northern Victoria. Accommodating a floodway and including Passive House principles by delivering an energy efficient, thermally comfortable and healthy indoor environment, SAM is the first Australian art museum to achieve a 6-star Green Star rating. Offering a level of transparency that is rarely encountered in museums, the visitor experience has been heightened through an open circulation stairway and panoramic views from the roof, integrating sustainability with a materiality that is present through sight alone. Denton Corker Marshall has crafted a building in and of itself a work of art, one that encourages visitors to reflect on the relationship between architecture, land and art.

From the exterior alone, a vivacious three-dimensional Voronoi pattern lays over the façade, capturing attention from afar while also connecting to the pedestrian bridge that leads to Chevron Island and the HOTA outdoor stage.

HOTA Gallery by ARM Architecture

Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia

Transforming HOTA Gallery with vibrant colours and immersive experiences, ARM Architecture has metamorphosed the Gold Coast site into an artistic cultural beacon. Set across 9,100 square metres, HOTA Gallery is one of the largest regional galleries in Australia and houses the city’s permanent collection of contemporary art and cultural artifacts. From the exterior alone, a vivacious three-dimensional Voronoi pattern lays over the façade, capturing attention from afar while also connecting to the pedestrian bridge that leads to Chevron Island and the HOTA outdoor stage. Beginning at level five, HOTA Gallery weaves a downward excursion through an array of touring and permanent art collections, a workshop and an adjacent children’s gallery, all while offering alternate views of the surrounding city from each level. On the ground level, guests can either begin or end their experiences with the two Chef’s Hat-awarded Palette restaurant or the Exhibitionist Bar on the rooftop that looks out across the Gold Coast skyline, Nerang River and hinterland. Embodying Queensland’s youthful spirit and sunny disposition, ARM Architecture’s third element of HOTA’s transformational master plan delivers a celebration of culture, colour and landscape.