Project Sydney Modern, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia and the Sydney Modern Project

The Art Gallery of New South Wales narrowed the list of architecture firms vying for its $450 million Sydney Modern project from 12 to 5, and there were no Sydney firms running.
Stage one of the selection process was anonymous in the sense that the jury assessed high-level concepts submitted by each firm and did not know from where they came. According to Director of NSW Art Gallery the Sydney Modern should be ready by 2021. Sydney architects were represented in the jury and drew up guidelines for the competition. Local firms may work with the ultimate winner.
Two Australian firms were in contention in Stage 2 - Kerry Hill Architects, Singapore and Perth, and Sean Goodsell Architects, Melbourne. They joined Kengo Kuma and Associates, Tokyo and Paris, RMA Architects, Boston and Mumbai, and SANAA, Tokyo.
They are saying that Sydney needs vision.
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".. "Only after we picked the five concepts were we able to reveal whose concepts they were," Dr Brand said. .."
".."Architecture now, like art, is such an international practice – you have Sydney architects designing buildings in China, Chinese architects designing buildings in America. We have two Japanese architects in this list, one of whom has offices in Paris." .."
"..The winning firm will then work for a year with the gallery refining the design. .."
"..to be completed by 2021, which marks the AGNSW's 150th anniversary. .."
".. projected budget is $450 million, which Dr Brand says will come from a mix of private and state investment. .."
".. Sydney needs a great amount of vision now." .."
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Find this at http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/art-gallery-of-nsw-narrows-architecture-firms-down-to-five-finalists-for-sydney-modern-20150119-12t4ar.html .
This news item is from 2015 January.

Update: SANAA, Tokyo won. Visit http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/sydney-modern-project/design-competition . Find presentation drawings' thumbnails here from the Stage 2 entries.
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"..
Stage one shortlisted architects

Candalepas Associates – Sydney
David Chipperfield Architects – London
Fender Katsalidis – Melbourne
Herzog & de Meuron – Basel
Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA – Tokyo
Kengo Kuma & Associates – Tokyo
Kerry Hill Architects – Singapore
Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos – Madrid
RPBW (Renzo Piano Building Workshop) – Genoa
RMA Architects (Rahul Mehrotra Architects) – Mumbai
Sean Godsell Architects – Melbourne
Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Architects – New York
.."
"..
Stage two shortlisted architects

Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA – Tokyo
Kengo Kuma & Associates – Tokyo and Paris
Kerry Hill Architects – Singapore and Perth
RMA Architects (Rahul Mehrotra Architects) – Mumbai and Boston
Sean Godsell Architects – Melbourne
.."

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