The Sydney Modern project is finally open. Has the Art Gallery of NSW’s $344m expansion paid off?

Making Worlds exhibition in the new building at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, featuring Mikala Dwyer’s The divisions and subtractions (foreground) and Tom Polo’s The most elaborate disguise. Photograph: Zan Wimberley/Art Gallery of New South Wales

Much is expected from Sydney’s most costly and long-awaited newborn.

Widely referred to as Sydney Modern (it still doesn’t have a name; more on that later), the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ $344m expansion opened to the public on Saturday after a 10-year gestation. More than 15,000 people have already registered to file through the glass atrium, and descend into the highly praised Sanaa-designed new building over its first two days.