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The Asian Galleries of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was an extension undertaken in 2003. The building was completed and opened on the 25th October. The key architect who designed the extension was Richard Johnson of JOHNSON PILTON WALKER (JPW).

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The NSW Art Gallery is one of Australia’s most profound art galleries. The extension adds more culture and diversity to the entire building. The space involves art from all corners of Asia including: Buddhist and Hindu Arts, Indian sculptures, Southern Asian textiles, Chinese ceramics and paintings, Japanese works and many more. The recognition of the extension was received widely and amongst some of Australia’s more recognised names such as Bob Carr (the premire at the time) who wrote a brief piece for the Galleries opening booklet on the new space.

Archtecture
Richard Johnson of JPW was heavily involved with the design of the Asian Gallery extension. The aesthetics of the extension have been described as “cantilevered on top of the original Asian galleries, the pavilion glows softly like a paper lantern when lit at night.” The extension created an addition 720 square metres to the Gallery which is to house temporary and permanent exhibitions. In 2004 JPW won two awards for their involvement in the creation of the Asian Galleries extension. These awards were •	RAIA National Commendation, Sir Zelman Cowan Award for Public Buildings - AGNSW New Asian Galleries •	RAIA NSW Chapter, Architecture Award for Public and Commercial Buildings - AGNSW New Asian Galleries

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Budget
Over $16 million was granted from the NSW State Government for this major building project – inclusive also of the Rudy Komon gallery, new conservation studios, café, restaurant and function area, and a refurbishment of the administration area.

News
The competition of the extension saw the image of, “a floating white glass and steel cube pivoted with modern stainless steel lotus flowers,” on the front page of Architecture Bulletin September/October 2003. The NSW art gallery is a centre for research, education, culture, and preservation. The Asian Gallery has added greatly to this.