TANG

FRD was engaged to design the upper and lower Asian wings of the Art Gallery of NSW, to welcome treasures from the Chinese city of Xi’an travelling to Sydney for the first time. The exhibition layout was inspired by the gridded streets of the ancient Capital. The design of Tang: Treasures from the Silk Road Capital incorporated existing showcases and gallery furniture, as well as new custom-built joinery units.

A specially commissioned model of the original Famen Temple Pagoda accompanied pieces found at the important archaeological site. Lighting the upper gallery was a custom printed Barrisol feature, and several light boxes brought murals from the Tang era to life in the lower space. The design embraced public programming, including a Silk Road inspired craft room featuring a specially designed puppet theatre, and space for the augmented reality experience ‘Pure Land’.