The New Museum for Western Australia has been completed in Perth’s cultural precinct, and exhibitions are currently being installed to allow the museum to open in November 2020.
The 21,500 sq m museum was designed by Australian architect Hassell and Dutch firm Office for Metropolitan Architecture’s (OMA). It is made up of refurbished heritage buildings and newly built structures, which will house what the architects describe as a "collection of stories" over two internal intersecting circulation loops, one vertical and the other horizontal.
The development also contains the City Room, an outdoor public space in the centre of the museum, that can accommodate large community events.
Works on display in the museum will include a meteorite collection and a blue whale skeleton; a large gallery holding temporary exhibits will complement the permanent features.
David Gianotten, OMA’s managing partner, said: "The New Museum is a place to welcome everyone to explore the natural and social heritage of Western Australia.
"More importantly, it has been deliberately designed as a place for conversations, to inspire new ideas and knowledge of global relevance. It is a museum that both showcases and stimulates discoveries.
"Western Australia’s natural resources, culture and history are diverse. Instead of prescribing a singular interpretation of Western Australia, the loops enable visitors to engage with the museum’s collection in distinctive ways, and tell the manifold stories of the place."
Mark Loughnan, Hassell’s principal, said: "Our vision for the design was to create a space that promotes engagement and collaboration, responding to the needs of the museum and the community.
"We wanted it to be a civic place for everyone; an interesting mix of heritage and contemporary architecture, that contributes to the revitalisation of Perth’s cultural precinct while celebrating the culture of Western Australia on the world stage."
Hassell and OMA won a design competition for the project in August 2017.
Images courtesy of Hassell and OMA
