Portrait Gallery Design Winner Revealed

Portrait Gallery Design Winner Revealed
Prime Minister John Howard has defended a new $74 million National Portrait Gallery to be built in Canberra.

The gallery, to be designed by architectural firm Johnson Pilton Walker after a competitive tendering process, will be built adjacent to the High Court of Australia.

The existing portrait gallery, opened in 1994, has outgrown its current space at Old Parliament House and Commonwealth Place.

Mr Howard today said he looked forward to visiting the new gallery - just the fourth of its type anywhere in the world after Washington, London and Edinburgh.

The new one-storey gallery will allow for the display of some 500 portraits as well as temporary exhibitions, a cafe, education and school group areas, and car parking facilities.