John Wardle Architects, Field, Angelo Candalepas and Associates, and Open Weave have been announced by the Victorian Government as the shortlisted design teams that will continue to the final stage of the NGV Contemporary Design Competition.

The bid to design Australia’s largest museum of contemporary art and design kicked off back in March, offering Australian architecture practices an unparalleled platform to showcase Australia’s world-leading design and architecture industries.

NGV Contemporary is set to be located at 77 Southbank Boulevard in Southbank, Melbourne, and will be dedicated to the showcasing of contemporary art, design, fashion and architecture of local, national and international significance amid a new 18,000 square metre public space in the heart of a transformed Melbourne Arts Precinct. 

“The new gallery is part of Australia’s largest ever cultural infrastructure project that will be at the heart of a reimagined Melbourne Arts Precinct and create thousands of local jobs,” says Danny Pearson, the minister for creative industries in Victoria.

The shortlisted designs were selected by the NGV Contemporary Design Competition Jury for their innovative design, consideration of sustainability and connection to place.

Headed up by the preeminent architectural practice that serve as its namesake, each of the 4 shortlisted design teams is a force to be reckoned with, in the context of Australia’s built environment, culminated by a formidable group of architects designers and developers. 

The new addition to the National Gallery of Victoria’s inimitable property portfolio will strengthen the cultural institution’s reputation for promoting local and international art and design at its major pre-existing galleries. Prior to the advent of COVID-19, NGV welcomed over 3 million visitors a year across its two gallery sites – NGV International on St Kilda Road and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square. With the addition of the new gallery, projections raise this number to 4 million.

Next steps for the 4 shortlisted design teams, as they progress to the second and final stage of the design competition, involve further developing their design concepts. The successful design team will be announced in early 2022.

For those who are interested, you can read the official statement here.