SYDNEY.- The Art Gallery of New South Wales is celebrating record visitation and global recognition for sustainable design and construction ahead of its new building.

The expanded art museum is for the first time hosting two major summer exhibitions. Kandinsky and Louise Bourgeois: Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day? are proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, as part of the Sydney International Art Series, that brings the world’s most outstanding exhibitions to Australia, exclusively to Sydney. Kandinsky is also supported through the Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative.

Art Gallery of New South Wales director Michael Brand said we are excited to announce that visitation to our expanded art museum has surpassed two million since our award-winning new North Building opened a year ago.

‘Over the past decade, the Art Gallery has set out to forge an even brighter future for our much-loved 152-year-old public institution in a once in a generation transformation.

‘We are proud to have created a unique art museum experience on Gadigal Country in Sydney for our Australian and international audiences, and we are delighted that the way we have been able to bring together art, architecture and landscape on our campus has resonated so strongly with visitors,’ said Brand, ‘and been recognised externally through multiple awards.’




The Art Gallery’s expansion, which opened on 3 December 2022, almost doubled exhibition space and created a prominent new destination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

The 6 Star Green Star Design & As Built certified rating awarded to the new building, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects SANAA, with executive architect Architectus, landscape architect McGregor Coxall and built by Richard Crookes Constructions, represents international leadership in environmentally sustainable design and building practices.

Green Building Council of Australia CEO Davina Rooney said, ‘The Art Gallery was the first public art museum in Australia to achieve a 6 Star Green Star rating, awarded for the design of its new building and we are thrilled that this unique and innovative space has now achieved a 6 Star Green Star Design & As Built certification.

‘This achievement represents world leadership, and it can be experienced from the moment you arrive; from the adaptive reuse of historical structures, material selection and natural lighting, to connections through to the harbour and lush surrounding environment, this is a building that exists in harmony with its landscape. Sydney Modern is making its mark as an efficient, sustainable, healthy public building that sets a new standard for international galleries, while inspiring visitors to create for generations to come,’ said Rooney.

Richard Crookes Constructions Managing Director Jamie Crookes said, ‘It was a privilege to work with the Art Gallery and a talented team of consultants and subcontractors to realise the Gallery’s vision for the Sydney Modern Project. Achieving a 6 Star Green Star Design & As Built certified rating speaks to the quality of the design and delivery of this cultural landmark.

'The project features 8,000sqm of green roof and landscaped areas with nearly 50,000 Australian native plants, 735 solar panels and the adaptive re-use of two former World War II naval oil tanks, which was an intricate and unique component of the development,’ said Crookes.

The rating is the latest recognition for the project that has been honoured with numerous architecture, design and landscape awards, including the Sulman Medal for Public Architecture, and the Apollo Award for Museum Opening of the Year announced last week in London.

Visitors to the Art Gallery this weekend can see a range of exhibitions including Louise Bourgeois: Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day? in the North Building, and Kandinsky and Hoda Afshar: A Curve is a Broken Line in the South Building.