With a budget of almost $400M, the transformed WA Museum not only looks light and open, but champions a new era of museums that are transparent, inclusive and environmentally conscious.
The concept design WA Museum. Image courtesy Multiplex, HASSELL+OMA.
In 1997, with the opening of architect Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, a new phenomenon was born: ‘The Bilbao Effect’.
It refers to destination architecture which draws tourists in swarms to experience a building, and in turn the building’s collection. What followed was a new generation of cultural institutions worldwide redefining themselves through a more 21st century lens of engagement.
Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's Senior Contributor, after 12 years in the role as National Visual Arts Editor. She has worked for extended periods in America and Southeast Asia, as gallerist, arts administrator and regional contributing editor for a number of magazines, including Hong Kong based Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. She is an Art Tour leader for the AGNSW Members, and lectures regularly on the state of the arts. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW.
Instagram: fairleygina
