Jury citation
Traditionally, the gift shop in an art gallery is a recessive space through which you exit. Akin Atelier’s insertion of an intriguing visual jewel that feels like an objet d’art in and of itself is a triumph at the Art Gallery of NSW. A single material – a translucent, stratified resin – composes the perimeter wall, the external visual display and the retail shelving, all in one. From the outside, this vast, continuous vitrine obscures the book covers on display just enough to coax you closer for a look. Polished on the outside for maximum reflection, the resin, which was developed with surfboard designer Hayden Cox, is frosted on the inside to provide a sense of enclosure. Extensive material research and prototyping has produced something truly unique in place of what is so often an anticlimactic ending to a gallery visit.
Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Modern building is located in Sydney, New South Wales on Gadigal Country and was reviewed by Sandra Kaji-O’Grady in Architecture Australia March/April 2023.
Project credits
Architect: Akin Atelier; Project team: Kelvin Ho, Alexandra Holman; Builder: EMAC Constructions; Multidisciplinary designer: Hayden Cox; Engineer: Arup.
