The National Gallery of Australia has announced the shortlist of five finalists for the National Sculpture Garden Design Competition. Five Australian multidisciplinary teams will progress to the final stage of the design competition with the winning design to be announced in October 2024.
The $60 million Sculpture Garden project, the largest investment since the garden’s inception, aims to rejuvenate one of Australia’s most significant and unique sculpture gardens, transforming it into a world-renowned destination for visitors, art, and artists.
Launched in April 2024, the two-stage competition invites innovative designs to renew the three-hectare garden as a hub for art, education, and cultural and social events. Entrants must form multidisciplinary teams comprising a Landscape Architect, an Australian First Nations practitioner, an artist, an architect, and a botanist or horticulturalist, and respect the garden’s original design intent and heritage values.
Entries were assessed by a Jury of distinguished experts chaired by architect and Chair of the Heritage Council of Victoria Philip Goad, along with National Gallery Director Dr Nick Mitzevich, Barkandji artist and curator Nici Cumpston OAM and renowned Chilean landscape architect Teresa Moller.
The finalists will proceed to the second and final stage of the competition, where they have been invited to provide a further submission for the Jury’s consideration. The outcome of the second stage is expected to be announced in October 2024.
SHORTLISTED TEAMS (in alphabetical order)
CO-AP Holdings Pty Ltd (New South Wales)
Emergent Studios Pty Ltd T/A Bush Projects (Victoria)
Hassell Ltd (Victoria)
McGregor Coxall Australia Pty Ltd (New South Wales)
SBLA Studio Pty Ltd (Victoria)
The shortlisted teams for the National Sculpture Garden Design Competition are fully listed on the National Gallery of Australia website at https://nga.gov.au/art-artists/sculpture-garden/design-competition/
