In April 2012, the Australia Council announced that a design concept by Australian firm Denton Corker Marshall (DCM) had been chosen from a shortlist of six Australian firms for the new Australian Pavilion.
Australia is the first country to re-develop its site in the Biennale Gardens.
This is an
ambitious project, costing around $6 million dollars, and it is
being funded by the Australian Government with substantial support from
Australian philanthropists.
As much as I
feel sentimental about our dear old pavilion (see my previous post on the subject), I am excited by DCM’s winning concept. Other DCM
buildings include the Museum of Sydney, Melbourne Museum, and the new Stonehenge Visitor Centre
in the UK as well the Australian embassies in Tokyo and Beijing.
DCM’s plan
is for a building made of South Australian granite, with
a back of house ground level accessible from the canal alongside the Australian site. with a gallery space on the top level, cantilevered over the canal. A
six-metre high white box will sit within the black box with polished concrete
floor and reception space.
This is how
the entry to the Australian Pavilion looked in October 2013:
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Australian Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2013
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And a shot of DCM's new Pavilion concept (from the Australia Council for the Arts website):
And here is a
side view of the current Australian Pavilion, seen from the bridge leading to the Venezia Pavilion:
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Australian Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2013
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And how the new Pavilion will appear (from the Australia Council for the Arts website):
I'm very much looking forward to meeting the new Australian Pavilion at the 2015 Venice Biennale.
