The competition for the new Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (MAAS) will launch next month. Malcolm Reading Consultants will manage the two-stage competition with the aim of announcing the winning design team and concept design in the second half of 2019.
New South Wales (NSW) minister for the arts Don Harwin said: “Based at the geographic heart of Sydney, Parramatta’s new museum must be a cultural icon of worldwide significance with timeless appeal. This international competition is the next step in fulfilling our promise to the community to deliver a state-of-the-art museum that provides an innovative and engaging space where families, industry and educational institutions can discover and learn.
“The consultants we have chosen have outstanding experience in attracting the best local and international entrants.”
Competition director Malcolm Reading said: “The new Museum will need to inspire new generations and communities; stimulate curiosity and creative expression; and make an emblematic place within Sydney and New South Wales with tangible economic and practical benefits for the local population.
The consultancy will work with the NSW government to devise the competition materials and messages, liaise with stakeholders and ensure independence in the competition process. Interested architects and designers can now sign up to receive notification of launch on the competition website’s holding page.
An independent jury from Australia and overseas will assess the design submissions against evaluation criteria. There will be a public exhibition of all the second stage designs before the jury meets.
Malcolm Reading Consultants’ recent work includes competitions for the Illuminated River Foundation (London), Science Island (Kaunas, Lithuania), the Royal College of Art (London), the V&A (London), the Mumbai City Museum, New College, Oxford and Homerton College, Cambridge.
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