Rem Koolhaas, Norman Foster, Jean Nouvel compete to design new WA museum

Lead image: An artist concept of a themed use of internal space of the new Museum WA incorporating the blue whale skeleton.

Notable ‘star-chitects’ Rem Koolhaas, Jean Nouvel and Norman Foster are all famous in their own right, but only one will win the competition to design and build the new $428.3 million Western Australia (WA) Museum.

WA Culture and Arts Minister John Day yesterday announced that three consortia, led by Brookfield Multiplex, John Holland, and a joint venture between Doric Group and Tecnicas Reunidas – each aligned with one of the Pritzker Prize laureates – have been shortlisted to design and construct the new museum on the Perth Cultural Centre site.

Foster’s Foster + Partners, responsible for London’s ‘Gherkin’ skyscraper, joined the team led by John Holland, and which includes local architects Hames Sharley.

Ateliers Jean Nouvel, responsible for Sydney’s One Central Park and the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris, is working with local Perth architects Cameron Chisholm Nicol, and Parry and Rosenthal Architects in the consortia led by Doric and Tecnicas Reunidas.

Koolhaas’ OMA, who designed the Musee National Des Beaux Arts in Quebec, has joined HASSELL and Brookfield Multiplex.

All three groups have progressed to the Request for Proposals Stage, will now work with the government to ensure state requirements are met. The WA museum has also established four community panels to provide ongoing input to the project.

Early works for the site are already underway, including conservation works to heritage buildings at the Perth site where the new museum will be located. The successful managing contractor will be selected later this year, with construction scheduled to begin in 2016 and the project due to open in 2020.