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Sydney Modern Structure Complete

Topping out marks a major milestone in our delivery of the Art Gallery of NSW’s Sydney Modern Project. We were privileged to welcome the NSW Premier and Arts Minister on site to celebrate completion of the developments highest structural point, the roof of the entrance pavilion.

Premier Dominic Perrottet and Minister for the Arts Don Harwin joined our RCC project team, AGNSW and Infrastructure NSW personnel on site to celebrate structural completion and the progress on site since construction began two years ago.

“Sydney is the cultural capital of Australia, this major expansion of our art gallery will attract tourists from around the world.”

 

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet

In line with the Sydney Modern Project’s 6-star Green Star design rating, the roof of the entrance pavilion will be covered in solar cells. The Art Gallery is Australia’s first museum to achieve the highest rating for sustainable design by the Green Building Council of Australia.

The project has been incredibly rewarding for RCC. Involving the delivery of a new building with state-of-the-art gallery spaces for the community, repurposing the existing historic oil tank structures and navigating a unique site, the team has remained focused on collaborative relationships and innovative solutions. RCC has embraced the opportunity of delivering an intricately designed building by SANAA while working within a restricted site, protecting existing structures, maintaining the safety and amenity of pedestrians and vehicles utilising the precinct and surrounding roadways as well as ensuring the existing Art Gallery remains operational and welcoming throughout construction works.

We are proud to work with the NSW Government, the Art Gallery of NSW and the local community to bring SANNA’s incredible vision to life and RCC is one of many stakeholders involved in the design and delivery of the Sydney Modern Project.

“We’re creating an indoor-outdoor campus set in the stunning landscape overlooking Sydney Harbour, on Gadigal Country, with exceptional art experiences for everyone to enjoy and only possible in Sydney”

 

Art Gallery of NSW Director, Michael Brand

 

“We are investing in our future by creating a world-class destination for art and culture. The remarkable Sydney Modern Project cements our city’s position as Australia’s arts capital”

 

Arts Minister Don Harwin

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To date there have been more than 2,500 workers inducted on site, as well as a team of talented consultants and stakeholders all working together to make this happen. Thank you to the RCC Sydney Modern Project team as well as all the subcontractors and consultants involved so far for your incredible effort to achieve this project milestone.

Reaching structural completion took more than 540,000 hours worked on site. It involved the excavation of 80,000 tonne of material, the installation of more than 1,400 tonne of structural steel and over 12,000m3 of concrete (5 Olympic swimming pools).

Despite the pandemic, the Sydney Modern Project remains on schedule for completion in late 2022.

 

Sydney Modern Project Ground Breaking

The first sod has been turned on the site the Art Gallery of New South Wales expansion, the Sydney Modern Project, marking the commencement of this future landmark development.

RCC’s Managing Director, Jamie Crookes said he was honoured to take part in the ground breaking ceremony this week;

“As a family owned Australian construction company, Richard Crookes Constructions is incredibly proud to have been selected to deliver the Sydney Modern Project. We recognise the significant contribution that the Art Gallery of NSW and the arts community make to both the Sydney and broader Australian cultural landscape.
We are honoured, as their construction partner, to play a role in realising the vision for this expansion project and to deliver what will undoubtedly be a landmark building for Sydney and a major cultural destination in the wider Asia-Pacific region”
Jamie Crookes – Managing Director

 

RCC will continue to partner with the Art Gallery of NSW and Infrastructure NSW, as well as a team of subcontractors and consultants to deliver the major expansion.

We have a proud history of collaborating with the NSW Government to deliver important social infrastructure projects and we look forward to working with INSW, the AGNSW, the Royal Botanic Garden, neighbours and the local community on this exciting and iconic project.

 

More about the Sydney Modern Project

The completed expansion involves a new stand-alone building, located to the north of the existing Gallery, and includes new exhibition spaces, a public art garden and the adaptive re-use of two decommissioned WWII oil tanks.

The Sydney Modern Project is scheduled for completion in 2022.

For more information about the project visit artgallery.nsw.gov.au

 


Pictured from left to right: Ben Quilty, Artist Member, Art Gallery of NSW Board of Trustees; Gretel Packer, Vice President, Art Gallery of NSW Board of Trustees; Mark Nelson, Chair, Sydney Modern Project Capital Campaign Committee, Art Gallery of NSW; Ryue Nishizawa, Architect, SANAA; Kazuyo Sejima, Architect, SANAA; Dr Michael Brand, Director, Art Gallery of NSW; The Hon. Don Harwin, MLC, Minister for the Arts; The Hon. Gladys Berejiklian, MP, Premier of New South Wales; David Gonski AC, President, Art Gallery of NSW Board of Trustees; Maud Page, Deputy Director and Director of Collections, Art Gallery of NSW; Isaac Wakil AO, Chair, Susan & Isaac Wakil Foundation; Sally Webster, Head of Sydney Modern Project, Art Gallery of NSW; Uncle Charles (Chicka) Madden, Gadigal Elder and Member of the Art Gallery of NSW Indigenous Advisory Group; Simon Draper, Chief Executive, Infrastructure NSW and Jamie Crookes, Managing Director, Richard Crookes Constructions.