One of Victoria’s wealthiest families has donated $100 million towards the construction of the new National Gallery of Victoria building, an omphalos shaped space, reflecting the Ancient Greek concept for the centre of the earth, as designed by Angelos Candalepas and Associates.
Lindsay Fox AC and Paula Fox AO announced the donation on Tuesday, in celebration of the trucking magnate’s 85th birthday, marking the largest cultural gift ever granted by a living donor to a cultural institution in Australia.
In recognition of the historic gift, the new building will be named The Fox: NGV Contemporary in perpetuity, which will be the centrepiece of the $1.7 billion transformation of the Melbourne Arts Precinct in Southbank, and is expected to open its doors in 2028.
Billionaire trucking magnate Lindsay Fox says his wife Paula, who is a director on the NGV Foundation board, was responsible for their extraordinary donation to the National Gallery of Victoria.
He said their commitment to support the NGV, will continue long after they are gone, through the involvement of their five children, each of whom has an interest in the arts.
As unveiled last month by the Victorian state government, the preliminary design for the new National Gallery of Victoria Contemporary building comprises of more than 13,000 square metres of display space, including a central Greek-inspired gallery.
Hailed as a “visually arresting ‘omphalos’ (the Ancient Greek word for the centre of the earth)”, the monumental spherical hall penetrates all levels of the building, surpassing 40 metres and connecting to a dual-levelled roof top terrace.
“Melbourne is the cultural capital of this nation and NGV Contemporary marks its next great offering to the world,” said the principal of the firm leading the project, Angelo Candalepas, adding that “this building will be a beacon of the culture of our time.”
Candalepas has brought together a collective of 20 architecture, design and engineering firms from around Australia to deliver what will be the country’s largest contemporary art gallery.
The Greek Australian architect’s winning design was selected by a jury of industry experts and multi-disciplinary professionals from a shortlist, following a two-stage-process competition.
