Competition to reimagine National Gallery of Australia

The National Gallery of Australia in Kamberri/Canberra has launched an open, international design competition for the $60 million revitalisation of its three-hectare sculpture garden.

The competition is open to multidisciplinary teams from Australia and overseas, and teams are encouraged to include a landscape architect, an Australian First Nations practitioner, an artist, architect, and botanist or horticulturalist.

Conducted in two-stages, with the first stage anonymous, the competition seeks innovative and imaginative conceptual designs that incorporate a public place to experience art, education, cultural and social events and would be responsive and resilient to mitigate climate change, enhance mature trees, and embedded with sustainability, accessibility and First Nations principles.

It also seeks a design that would reflect the garden's original design intent and heritage values. Originally established in 1981 and designed by Harry Howard and Associates, the garden was designed to respond to and extend the geometry of the gallery building by Col Madigan and his team. Spanning three-hectares surrounding the NGA building, the garden currently features a range of native plants that suit the sometimes severe weather of Kamberri/Canberra.

The garden is home to sculptures by Bert Flugelman, Clement Meadmore and Auguste Rodin, as well as contemporary works by Thancoupie (Dhaynagwidh/Thaynakwith people), Fujiko Nakaya and by Fiona Hall and James Turrell.

"The National Sculpture Garden is a major part of the National Gallery identity and a treasured site for many of our visitors. Considered a striking example of Australian landscape design, the original design was never fully completed and has not seen significant investment over many years," said National Gallery director Nick Mitzevich. "We are launching this major project to revitalise and bring the garden into the 21st Century."

The brief for the competition has been developed with eminent experts in landscape design, architecture, art, education, heritage, accessibility and botany. The competition is also endorsed by the Australian Institute of Architects and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.

Entries to the first stage will close on 29 May 2024. A jury will select a shortlist of entries which will be invited to progress their designs for stage two.

The jury comprises Philip Goad (architectural historian, chair), Nici Cumpston (Barkandji artist, curator and writer), Nick Mitzevich (director of the National Gallery of Australia), and Teresa Moller (Chilean landscape architect).

The shortlist will be announced in June with the winner to be announced in October.

More information and submission requirements can be found on the NGA website.