Gallery Shop for Art Gallery of NSW, New Sydney Modern Building by Akin Atelier

The Gallery Shop at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) New Sydney Modern building, designed by Akin Atelier, is an immersive retail space and sculptural installation that elevates the intersection of architecture, art, and material innovation. Opened in December 2022, the shop is part of the landmark Sydney Modern Project, a transformative expansion by Pritzker Prize–winning architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA, marking the most significant cultural development in Sydney since the Opera House.

Located within the Entrance Pavilion, the Gallery Shop showcases a large-scale custom resin installation created in collaboration with Hayden Cox, founder of the world-renowned surfboard brand Haydenshapes. The shop’s design embraces fluid contours of bio-resin, forming a luminous, translucent boundary that reflects and refracts light throughout the day. This innovative resin work acts as both a display perimeter and sculptural centerpiece, connecting visitors visually to the Domain, Sydney Harbour, and surrounding precincts while framing artworks such as Yayoi Kusama’s Flowers that Bloom in the Cosmos.

Akin Atelier’s approach balances transparency, natural light, and spatial intimacy, responding to the building’s open volumes and cascading landscape. The design process involved two years of experimental development, pushing the boundaries of resin fabrication and large-scale interior applications, merging craft, innovation, and architecture. Each of the 29 resin modules—weighing between 300 and 500 kilograms—was hand-finished through seven sand-polishing stages, with meticulous color gradation inspired by the sandstone geology of Sydney and the rammed earth textures of the new building.

Inside, visitors experience a dynamic interplay of light, form, and transparency, where the bubble-like resin installation captures changing daylight and transforms the perception of space. Carefully positioned windows within the resin perimeter offer framed views, creating an intimate dialogue between the shop, the art, and the city. The shop merges retail functionality with sculptural artistry, offering visitors an immersive cultural experience beyond traditional gallery retail spaces.

The all-Australian team—from design, fabrication, to installation by EMAC Constructions—ensured every element, from hand-poured pigments to sintered resin layers, reflected precision and craftsmanship. This project exemplifies contemporary Australian architecture, material experimentation, and the power of collaborative design innovation. The Gallery Shop not only enhances the visitor experience at the Art Gallery of NSW but sets a benchmark for integrating retail, architecture, and art in a modern cultural institution.

All the photographs are works of Rory Gardiner