Army Museum of Western Australia chooses BKAYDesign to create their new gallery.

The first stage of a major gallery redevelopment for the Army Museum of Western Australia in Fremantle is to be designed and built by BKAYDesign.

The first gallery, to be known as The Post 1945 Gallery, has as one of its core aims to engage the public in understanding and valuing the role and contribution of the Australian Army since the end of World War II, both within Australia and internationally. This gallery will be the first of four specialised galleries, each one featuring a different chapter in Australian military history.

Graham Horne, the Chairman of the Army Museum of WA Foundation said the first priority would be to fit out the post-1945 gallery to include the Armys involvement with many key conflicts and military opperations. These include the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan from 1945, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and conflicts in Malaya, Indonesia, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition the gallery will include information and artefacts from a multitude of peacekeeping missions, the Australian Regular Army, Citizen Military Forces, the Army Reserve and Cadets in Western Australia.

BKAYDesigns Kim Kay said his company was extremely proud to be associated with the design and construction of the Museums new gallery.

It is very satisfying to help create a moving testimony to the role played by the Australian Army from 1945 to the present day, he said.

Our brief from the Army Museum of Western Australia is to engage visitors in a way that has not been possible before. To tell present and future generations of the sacrifices and challenges faced by Western Australian men and women who put their lives on the line in the service of their country. This gallery will have a strong focus on personal stories and experiences.

BKAYDesign has an acknowledged expertise in designing and building exhibitions, largely for the oil and gas industry.

Our core business is the imaginative use of third dimensional space and the opportunity to apply these skills to the creation of a museum of this class from the ground up is a challenge we grabbed with both hands, Mr Kay said.

The Post 1945 Gallery of the museum will open on 22 April 2010 on the first floor of the western end of the Artillery Barracks at 2 Burt Street Fremantle. It is supported by an initial $581,000 grant from Lotterywest and a $2.5 million fundraising appeal has been launched to fund the development of this and the following three stages of the museum.

When finished, it is expected to attract thousands of people.

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