NGA Appoints Manteena For Major Upgrades

NGA appoints Manteena for 3-year program of works |

Home to a collection of more than 153,000 works of art—the largest of any art gallery in Australia—the National Gallery of Australia is once again entrusting Manteena to undertake significant infrastructure works within the building.

The gallery was built in the 1970s and completed in 1981. A program of works for replacement and refurbishment of aging infrastructure nearing its’ end-of-life will be implemented over the next three financial years. Some examples include: façade and roofing; fire systems; electrical & mechanical upgrades; lighting; security; and lifts, etc.

Manteena Director, Rod Mitton, first worked in the NGA for Manteena in 1987 and has undertaken numerous projects within the gallery since that time; more recently, Rod was the Senior Project Manager for the award-winning New Entrance and 11 Indigenous Galleries built in 2010. Rod explains that the project program is made up of multiple projects.

“The gallery is open 364 days a year, therefore a level of detailed planning is required to ensure the works don’t interfere with normal gallery operations.”

Rod adds, “the priority will be to determine the sequencing of works in relation to updating and replacing critical infrastructure while maintaining continued operations within the gallery”.

“We’ll now start the process of putting together the consultant teams for each package of work, setting up our team, site offices and implementing the schedule of works”. “This is particularly challenging for the mechanical/electrical system upgrades because the artwork needs to remain in a stable environmental condition. But we have an excellent knowledge of the building from our past experience and our plans reflect an efficient strategy to deliver the work”.

“We’re really excited to be back working with the NGA,” Rod said.

Works will be staged through until 2022.