The Northern Territory government has unveiled imagery of the latest plans for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia (ATSIAGA) in the town centre of Alice Springs/Mparntwe.
Designed by a team comprising BVN and Susan Dugdale and Associates alongside landscape architects Aspect Studios and Clarsen and Clarsen, the plans for the institution at 7 Wills Terrace – previously called the National Aboriginal Art Gallery – were originally filed for development consent last year.
However, Minister for Logistics and Infrastructure Bill Yan said that due to cost blowouts, the NT government has recently “re-scoped the gallery to deliver a project that’s affordable, achievable and world-class.”
“This gallery will be a world-class cultural landmark that celebrates the world’s oldest living cultures, while driving jobs, tourism, and economic growth for Alice Springs,” Yan said.
The architects’ new design for ATSIAGA is, according to the NT government, currently halfway complete. A development consent application for the redesigned project, which was submitted earlier this month, is now on public exhibition.
Reduced from five storeys, the new scheme is a three-storey, 4,000-square-metre building that includes 1,300-square-metres of exhibition space for major touring and international exhibitions, supported by specialist facilities, including a secure loading dock, conservation and registration spaces and staff areas.
On the proposed ground floor, an entry foyer and cafe are designed to connect to a landscaped forecourt to the east, which provides a buffer between the new gallery and the site’s neighbouring rotary club. According to the NT government, the project also includes “significant parking upgrades” for the over 50s community, the Anzac Oval and the proposed gallery.
Yan said the project will transform Alice Springs into a national cultural hub while generating tangible economic and social benefits.
“ATSIAGA is about more than art, it’s about jobs, private investment, cultural tourism and strengthening our national identity,” he said. “It will empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices through co-curation with artists and communities and position the Northern Territory as a global leader in showcasing First Nations culture.”
The NT government anticipate that following development of the design and regulatory approvals, the gallery will take between 18 and 24 months to construct, and be ready for opening in late 2027.
The proposal is on public exhibition until 22 August.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
