The six design teams shortlisted for the Adelaide Contemporary International Design Competition arrived in Adelaide recently to a traditional Aboriginal welcome by Kaurna Elder, Frank Wanganeen.

Adelaide is located on the traditional lands of the Kaurna people with the competition project site rich in Kaurna heritage.

Adelaide Contemporary has been planned by the government of South Australia as a new art destination that will combine a contemporary art gallery with a public sculpture park and also include a community meeting place integrating art, education, nature and people.

To be located on Adelaide’s celebrated North Terrace boulevard, next to the Adelaide Botanic Garden, the project is important to Renewal SA’s vision to transform the site.

Selected from a large pool of 107 global teams, the six shortlisted teams represent international and Australian design collaborations and include: Adjaye Associates (London, UK) and BVN (Sydney, Australia); BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group (Copenhagen, Denmark) and JPE Design Studio (Adelaide, Australia); David Chipperfield Architects (London, UK) and SJB Architects (Sydney, Australia); Diller Scofidio + Renfro (New York, USA) and Woods Bagot (Adelaide, Australia); HASSELL (Melbourne, Australia) and SO-IL (New York, USA); and Khai Liew (Adelaide, Australia), Office of Ryue Nishizawa (Tokyo, Japan) and Durbach Block Jaggers (Sydney, Australia).

The government of South Australia through Arts South Australia and the Art Gallery of South Australia also announced the jury that will select the winner in May this year.

Comprising of nine leaders from the arts, architecture, culture and business, the jury includes:

  • Michael Lynch AO CBE (Chair), chair, Sydney Community Foundation and chair, Circa
  • Lee-Ann Tjunypa Buckskin, deputy chair, Australia Council for the Arts, MD, L-AB & Associates and executive, Aboriginal Strategy, South Australian Film Corporation
  • Beatrice Galilee, associate curator of Architecture and Design, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
  • Walter Hood, creative director and founder, Hood Design Studio
  • David Knox, deputy chair, Economic Development Board of South Australia and Member, Adelaide Botanic Gardens Foundation Committee
  • Nick Mitzevich, director, Art Gallery of South Australia
  • Toshiko Mori, founder and principal, Toshiko Mori Architect and Robert P. Hubbard professor in the Practice of Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design
  • Sally Smart, vice-chancellor’s professorial fellow, University of Melbourne
  • Tracey Whiting, chair, Art Gallery of South Australia Board

Nick Mitzevich, Director, Art Gallery of South Australia, says “Adelaide Contemporary will curate the State’s exceptional collection of Aboriginal art and present Indigenous Australian art and culture alongside work by Asian and European artists, enabling local, national and international visitors to look at Australian art in a global context.”

The six shortlisted teams will have to make their concept design submissions in about eleven weeks to the competition organisers, Malcolm Reading Consultants.

Each team will receive an honorarium of $90,000 for their competition work including their concept design.

The winner is expected to be announced in June 2018.