Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 2001-02

QUEENSLAND GALLERY OF MODERN ART In these crucial years leading up to the 2005 opening of the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. the Gallery has been working to ensure that building development initiatives meet the needs of the community and the Gallery. ARCHITECT SELECTION COMPETITION The primary undertaking towards the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art project during 2001-02 was the staging of the Architect Selection Competition. The two-stage competition was advertised internationally and endorsed by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, and resulted in the short-listing of five architectural teams. Following the assessment panel's recommendation , the Queensland Government announced the selected team, Architectus + Davenport Campbell, on 8 April 2002. Both stages of the competition were assessed by a panel of five members, the majority of whom were architects, supported by expert advisers. The panel members were: Department of Public Works Deputy Director-General, Gary May !Chair); Queensland Government Architect, Michael Keniger; Queensland Art Gallery Director, Doug Hall; Head of Architecture, University of Sydney, Tom Heneghan; and Chief Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Elizabeth Smith. Launched on 18 July 2001, Stage 1 of the competition called for conceptual responses from architects regarding the new building. A total of 174 entries was received from 24 countries. The entries ranged from aspiring young architectural students to highly respected international firms, and with considerable diversity of approach to both the building and the site. The five short-listed teams invited to proceed to Stage 2 of the Competition were Architectus + Davenport Campbell, Benson & Forsyth+ Peddle Thorp, Durbach Block+ Bligh Voller Nield, LAB architecture studio+ the B+N Group+ Bligh Voller Nield, and Massimiliano Fuksas Architetto + Hassell. In Stage 2 the short-listed architects responded to a competition brief which detailed the Gallery·s objectives for the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, its public programs and the public precinct. Submissions were evaluated on their suitability and compatibility with the site; design clarity, functionality and innovation; buildability and ease of construction; achievability of the cost plan and value for money; and resource and 18 management methodology, including communication strategies. The competition assessment panel was unanimous in its recommendation of Architectus + Davenport Campbell as the team that offered the most robust and flexible schematic design, one which was capable of evolving and being refined in close consultation with the Gallery. SELECTED ARCHITECTS: ARCHITECTUS + DAVENPORT CAMPBELL Architectus is an association of several practices: the Travis McEwen Group based in Sydney and Shanghai, the Sainsbery Reed Group in Melbourne, Clare Design in Sydney and Architectus Bowes Clifford Thomson in Auckland and Christchurch. The Design Principals, Kerry and Lindsay Clare, established Clare Design on the Sunshine Coast in 1979 and were appointed as Design Directors in the New South Wales Government Architects· Office between 1998 and 2000. Kerry and Lindsay Clare are currently Adjunct Professors at the University of Sydney. Another principal with the team is James Jones, who has practised and lectured in Tasmania for many years. Davenport Campbell's projects include the Commonwealth Law Courts in Brisbane and the Brisbane Powerhouse Centre for the Live Arts. COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY CONSULTATION Several community liaison activities were undertaken in relation to planning and development of the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art during the year. Tours of the precinct were conducted for members of the public, and liaison with local service providers also occurred. Gallery audiences were informed on developments in the project through updates in program brochures, the artmail e-bulletin and media channels. Comprehensive information was also available on the Gallery·s website. On 21 June 2002, the twentieth anniversary of the Queensland Art Gallery's existing building, an exhibition and publication were launched to mark the culmination of the Architect Selection Competition and, more broadly, the first stage of the Government's Millennium Arts, Queensland Cultural Centre project. The exhibition provided the opportunity to view schematic designs by the successful architects and the four short-listed architectural consortia. A 40 page, full-colour publication, Queensland Gallery of Modern Art Architect Competition, and a website were launched in conjunction with the exhibition. During the year the Gallery also engaged external consultants to assist with planning for the new building. Three discussion papers were prepared for the Gallery on technical, operational and programming aspects of the proposed cinematheque in the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. Internal working groups were established to address resources and programs for the new building.