WA museum boola bardip, designed by hassell + OMA, opens

a museum in perth, australia, designed by hassell and OMA, has opened to the public. completed in 2019, the institution — now known as ‘WA museum boola bardip’ — has been conceived as a collection of stories about western australia’s diversity, rich history, and contemporary culture. heritage buildings and new volumes have been connected to offer a variety of curatorial possibilities, and to create the sheltered, outdoor ‘city room’ for public cultural programs and daily activities, including a nine-day cultural festival celebrating the opening.

all images © peter bennetts, courtesy of hassell + OMA

collaboratively designed by hassell and OMA, the renewed ‘WA museum boola bardip’ seeks to be a place where both the local community and global visitors can gather to engage in diverse cultural experiences. it features additional spaces for exhibitions and events, capacity for national and international touring shows, and new retail and dining opportunities. two intersecting circulation loops — one vertical and one horizontal — connect the refurbished historic buildings and new structures, while offering multiple routes for different experiences of the museum’s content.

‘the museum carefully combines and embraces historic and contemporary architecture to provide opportunities for exploration, sharing of ideas, and ongoing storytelling,’ says hassell principal mark loughnan. ‘we are proud to have designed a new and unique architectural identity that also opens and connects generously to its context and the city.’

OMA managing partner – architect david gianotten adds: ‘the museum is deeply rooted in western australia. we are proud to have created an architecture where the state’s culture is passed on and continuously made.’ see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here, as well as photographer nils koenning’s documentation of the museum.

project info:

name: new museum for western australia
location: perth, australia
design: hassell + OMA
status: open
previous coverage: august 2016, december 2019, april 2020