New $60 million art gallery a step closer after project secures builders behind MONA

THE Gold Coast City Council has named the builders of the $60 million art gallery. It will not be too long until art lovers can peruse the works.

An artist’s impression of the proposed Gold Coast Art Gallery to be built at the Gold Coast Cultural Precinct at Evandale.

BUILDING giant Hansen Yuncken has been awarded the contract to build the $60 million art gallery as part of the next stage of the Gold Coast City Council’s cultural precinct.

The builders have previously built the technically-challenging and critically acclaimed Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart.

Economic development and major projects committee chairman Hermann Vorster said the appointment meant the project at Evandale Parklands in Bundall was “unstoppable”.

“We are going to be in position to commission the gallery in 2020,” he said.

“Importantly Gold Coasters can have every confidence that there is going to be a thriving cultural economy.

“That is going to give kids the opportunity to work here on the Gold Coast rather than fleeing to Sydney or Melbourne to pursue careers in film and television, dancing, orchestral or whatever it is.”

The new art gallery has been designed with space to house the city’s multi-million art collection.

The collection has outgrown the current art gallery with many pieces sitting in storage and curators struggling to find space.

The first stage of the city’s cultural precinct, an amphitheatre, is set to be completed early next month.

Construction of the art gallery is set to begin after the Commonwealth Games next year.