The Nicholson Galleries, Chau Chak Wing Museum at The University of Sydney

museum gallery exhibition installation design studioplusthree architects chau chak wing

studioplusthree were commissioned to design the Nicholson Galleries at the University of Sydney’s new Chau Chak Wing Museum, which opened to the public in November 2020. The Galleries are home to the University’s extensive collection of antiquities from Egypt, Greece and Rome.

museum gallery exhibition installation design studioplusthree architects chau chak wing

The three principal cultures of the collection – Egyptian, Greek and Roman ‐ inform the design approach. Remains from Egypt are displayed in an immersive and intimate environment, whilst Roman busts are presented in the open, day‐lit atrium, echoing their original setting.

museum gallery exhibition installation design studioplusthree architects chau chak wing

Taking inspiration from classical architecture and contemporary art, the Nicholson Galleries establish an immersive and emotive approach to the visitor experience, in which massive walls are bisected by light, and rough textured walls are punctured by rich gold niches.

museum gallery exhibition installation design studioplusthree architects chau chak wing

Visitors enter the Mummy Room by crossing a threshold of light, symbolic of the transition to the afterlife. Inside, ethereal CT scans float into existence from seamless black mirrors before disappearing, leaving only the reflection of the visitor.

museum gallery exhibition installation design studioplusthree architects chau chak wing

Visitors enter the Mummy Room by crossing a threshold of light, symbolic of the transition to the afterlife. Inside, ethereal CT scans float into existence from seamless black mirrors before disappearing, leaving only the reflection of the visitor.

museum gallery exhibition installation design studioplusthree architects chau chak wing

Rough, textured stone finishes are contrasted against rich, glossy highlights of gold, bronze and wine‐red in the Egyptian galleries. In Greece and Rome, a smooth marble‐like finish and common details are used to create a family of plinths.

museum gallery exhibition installation design studioplusthree architects chau chak wing

Impressions of Greece plays on the techniques of early glass plate photography, creating a double‐curved lightbox that also references the nave of Greek orthodox churches and the qualities of light of the Mediterranean sky.

museum gallery exhibition installation design studioplusthree architects chau chak wing

Taking inspiration from classical outdoor sculpture gardens, Roman busts are seen in the round, atop pillars of differing translucency to give them body whilst filtering light through, and positioned at varying heights to evoke their individuality.

Credits

Photography: Brett Boardman
Builder: Art Services NSW, PreSet
Graphic Design: Maria Mosquera
Lighting Design: Ben Cisterne
Museum Architect: Johnson Pilton Walker

Exhibition spaces include The Mummy Room, Pharaonic Obsessions, Impressions of Greece and Roman Spectres.

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