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The Sydney Modern Project

Sydney is better known for its picture perfect harbour, than for its arts institutions. So what are the challenges of building an arts museum that鈥檚 distinctively Sydney?

Sydney鈥檚 main public art museum, the Art Gallery of NSW, recently completed Sydney Modern, a massive expansion project ten years in the making. Almost doubling the existing exhibition space, the new building was designed by the Pritzker Architecture Prize winning Japanese firm SANAA. Positioned within verdant parkland, yet a mere stone鈥檚 throw from the city centre, the new gallery is a series of interconnected glass鈥揺ncased pavilions that seem to cascade down an incline towards Sydney Harbour. With its landscaped terraces and courtyards, the new gallery almost merges with its surroundings, inviting visitors to experience art as part of the environment. Join Masako Fukui as she follows the final stages of this construction project, and talks to some of the key people who have contributed to the creative vision, including the Director of the Art Gallery of NSW, Dr Michael Brand, the architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, as well as artisans, artists and the structural engineer on the project.

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31 minutes

Podcast