Australia’s New South Wales Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin, announced today [6/7 November] that leading independent architectural competition organiser, Malcolm Reading Consultants, has been appointed to lead an open search for a design team for a landmark new museum in Parramatta, Sydney.
The competition for the new Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) will launch in December this year. United Kingdom-based Malcolm Reading Consultants will oversee the two-stage competition with the aim of announcing the winning design team and concept design in the second half of 2019.
New South Wales Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin, said:
‘Based at the geographic heart of Sydney, Parramatta’s new museum must be a cultural icon of worldwide significance with timeless appeal.
‘This international competition is the next step in fulfilling our promise to the community to deliver a state-of-the-art museum that provides an innovative and engaging space where families, industry and educational institutions can discover and learn.
‘The consultants we have chosen have outstanding experience in attracting the best local and international entrants. We are very excited to move forward with the competition and look forward to seeing the breadth of designs.
‘We are very excited to move forward with the competition and look forward to seeing the breadth of designs that reflect the Museum’s position at the intersection of art and science.’
Competition Director, Malcolm Reading, said:
‘We are delighted to be appointed to lead the competition. This is a hugely relevant initiative for New South Wales, and indeed Australia.
‘The new Museum will need to inspire new generations and communities; stimulate curiosity and creative expression; and make an emblematic place within Sydney and New South Wales with tangible economic and practical benefits for the local population.
‘We will work closely with the Create NSW project team who are overseeing the development of the new Museum as well as keeping the local community informed on the competition’s progress through launch, shortlisting and the announcement of the winning team.’
The consultancy will devise the competition materials and messages, liaise with stakeholders and ensure absolute independence in the competition process. Interested architects and designers can now sign up to receive notification of launch on the competition website’s holding page.
An independent jury from Australia and overseas will assess the design submissions against evaluation criteria (published in the competition’s Search Statement). There will be a public exhibition of all the second stage designs before the jury meets.
Malcolm Reading Consultants’ recent work includes competitions for the Illuminated River Foundation (London), Science Island (Kaunas, Lithuania), the Royal College of Art (London), the V&A (London), the Mumbai City Museum, New College, Oxford and Homerton College, Cambridge.
