Tasmania's Mona unveils $100m underground library Phrontisterion

David Walsh, the collector and owner of Tasmania's Mona (Museum of Old and New Art) museum, has officially opened a $100 million underground library named Phrontisterion. According to ABC News Australia, the project is a large facility built beneath Mona's existing structure; the collection includes rare manuscripts, Ancient Greek and Roman texts, and medieval codices.

Phrontisterion (Greek for 'place of thinking') is the concrete form of Walsh's decision to open his personal library to the public. At the opening, Walsh said the collection was designed as a 'permanent reading room' where visitors can engage with the texts directly. Research permits for academic use will be administered by the Mona Foundation.

The project also stands out in Australia's private cultural-investment landscape. Mona has been known as the private museum that has shaped Tasmania's tourism for the past decade; Phrontisterion's opening is likely to add further to the regional economy. The ABC reported that visitor bookings have risen sharply following the opening.