Austnatgallery

The biggest challenge in building the National Gallery was how to display the art pieces to the public.

The Galleries are separated into three levels. On the entrance level there are main and very high-walled rooms which some pieces hang from. On level 1 there is Australian art, a Project Gallery, a small theatre, membership office and a members lounge.(via lift to level two).

On the main entrance level, there is early European art, European and American art, International prints, drawings and photographs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, twentieth century art, Exhibition Galleries, National Gallery shop and a James O. Fairfax Theatre. The lower level was originally designed for sculptures with a Sculpture Gallery of mainly natural lighting.

In 1967, Prime Minister Harold Holt said that the government would build a Gallery to hold the National art collection. The contest for the design of the building was announced.The contract was won by the architectural firm, Edwards, Madigan and Torzillo InterNational Pty Ltd. After approval in 1970 the winning architect, Colin Madigan, was incharge of development for the complex which also included The High Court Of Australia on King Edwards Terrace. The ten hectare site is on the eastern side of the parliamentary triangle of Canberra.

This is a sketch of one one of the sculptures in the Asian section of the Gallery.

The floor of the National Gallery on all levels put together is about twenty thousand, five hundred and seventy three square metres. Seven thousand square metres of that space is used for exhibition displays.there are over 1,500 display lights of 500-1,000 watts being used in the Gallery opening hours.