GOMA South Bank – Brisbane

GOMA’s main entrance view.

How is it going mates? I know right now we still can’t do a lot of things we enjoy like visiting some awesome Architecture around us, such as beautiful galleries, museums, pavilions, etc. So, what about doing a virtual tour with us around GOMA South Bank?

Brisbane River’s Perspective from the gallery.

The Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) is such a beautiful piece of Architecture in the central area of Brisbane, more exactly at South Bank, which was already theme for one of our initial posts (http://brasaussiedesign.com/south-bank-area-design/). It’s actually part of the cultural complex called QAGOMA, which means Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art. I always admired this type of Australian Architecture, very open, integrating outdoors’ landscape, and with large external shaded areas, revealing its concerns about environmental local conditions, such as insolation and rainfall patterns.

GOMA’s side patio.

GOMA’s river front cafe.

Designed by Kerry and Lindsay Clare, from Architectus, in the beginning of the years 2000, the gallery was opened on December 2006. In 2007 the building’s design was awarded with the Royal Australian Institute of Architects National Award for Public Architecture and it became an icon of Aussie Architecture. More information about the project can be found on: https://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/about/our-story/architecture. Luckily, I used to live very close to this place and had many pleasant moments around its spaces, allowing me to have different spatial perspectives of  the whole gallery in different times, especially from the outside.

In the Architects’ own words: “The duality of the design approach [for GOMA] is that the architecture is impressive and monumental without losing its openness and freshness, and without being intimidating; international yet responsive to local conditions and the south-east Queensland context. By adopting this approach the architects propose to realise one of the Gallery’s most important aims – to place the institution in the public experience of the city.“.

Perspective from GOMA’s river front cafe.

GOMA’s overhang roof detail.

GOMA’s river front sculpture.

GOMA’s perspective facing Kulripa Bridge.

There’s actually a Brazilian Contemporary Architectural piece which relates somehow to GOMA’s Architectural main ideals, such as embracing the local landscape offering shaded external areas, giving us the opportunity to have pleasant external experiences, feeling the local breeze and not missing the sunshine daily movements. This gallery is the MAR (Museu de Arte do Rio), designed by the Brazilian Architectural team of Bernard Jacobsen Arquitetura and inaugurated on March 2013, more info available on: https://www.archdaily.com.br/br/01-108254/mar-museu-de-arte-do-rio-bernardes-jacobsen-arquitetura.

External view of the MAR (Museu de Arte do Rio). Source: https://www.archdaily.com.br/br/01-108254/mar-museu-de-arte-do-rio-bernardes-jacobsen-arquitetura

Night time external view of the MAR (Museu de Arte do Rio). Source: https://www.archdaily.com.br/br/01-108254/mar-museu-de-arte-do-rio-bernardes-jacobsen-arquitetura

Night time external view of the MAR (Museu de Arte do Rio). Source: https://www.archdaily.com.br/br/01-108254/mar-museu-de-arte-do-rio-bernardes-jacobsen-arquitetura

The MAR is located close to the famous Museum of Tomorrow, designed by very famous Spanish Architect Santiago Calatrava, in the Praça Mauá area, built as one of the large new public spaces created to give support to the Rio’s 2014 Olympic Games. I had the pleasure to visit this area on January 2019, but unfortunately the MAR was closed by the time.

Even though I haven’t had the pleasure to visit the MAR in Rio, it seems to give us similar sensations as the GOMA located in South Bank, Brisbane. Well, I confess I just can’t wait to go back to Brisbane’s Art Galleries as soon as possible and check out the new exhibitions on plus having a good coffee and looking at the Brisbane River! I am sure you won’t be disappointed as well with this experience.

*All the images in this post belongs to the writer´s personal gallery and correspond to intellectual property, otherwise as noted.

Important Sources:

https://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/

https://www.archdaily.com.br/br/01-108254/mar-museu-de-arte-do-rio-bernardes-jacobsen-arquitetura

http://museudeartedorio.org.br/