Resin Installation Casts Orange Glow Across Sydney Modern Gallery Shop

Akin Atelier and Hayden Cox have put their collaborative stamp on the Gallery Shop inside the new Sydney Modern building. Forming part of the wider architectural project, which opened in December 2022 and was designed by Pritzker Prize–winning firm SANAA, the Gallery Shop has been conceived as a “bubble” of sorts, with the intention of creating a calm and intimate space.

Having developed the initial design, Akin Atelier reached out to multi-disciplinary designer Hayden Cox, who has become known across the globe for his surfboard brand Haydenshapes. Across the course of two years, they together developed a large-scale design that would provide the focal point for the interiors: an orange-hued bio-resin structure. “I think the experimental nature of what we’ve created has been a huge motivation for all involved. It’s not a tried and tested concept, but more a hybrid of design, architecture, innovation, and art,” Cox says.

The decision to use the resin material was inspired by the transparency of SANAA’s design, with its color drawing on the hue of the surrounding sandstone. During the day, the light catches different points of the structure and casts colorful shadows across the space.

“The site gave us a unique opportunity to break past the ‘exit through the gift shop’ conventions and extend the artistic experience of the Art Gallery into the design of the retail space,” said Alexandra Holman, an associate at Akin Atelier. “Our intention was for the work to clearly express a sense of place in a way that not only preserved but also enriched the cultural & architectural experience of the gallery. These were the ideas that drove both the design & materiality of this project.”

To create the resin structure, 12 tonnes of bio-resin were utilized. Its form was created by hand pouring the liquid into custom molds, which took 109 consecutive days to achieve the gradient. Hand-sanding and sand-polishing took place over the course of three weeks and were undertaken by specialist resin workers.

Take a closer look at the space above, and for more design – check out Snøhetta’s new viewing tower for the Tyrolean Alps.