No_8_August_1968 — Page 34

Overseas project

MELBOURNE'S NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA

N INTERGRATED arts centre, de-

AN stined to become Victoria's

greatest cultural attraction is being constructed in Melbourne at a cost of A$21,000,000.

It stands beside tree-lined St. Kilda Road on the outskirts of the business heart of the city and comprises a massive all-purpose art gallery, build- ings for ballet, drama and concerts and a tapering, 415 ft. high gold-tip- ped spire. It is built on a concrete podium covering 71⁄2 acres beside the River Yarra.

The art gallery, costing A$14,000,- 000, was opened this month; the re- maining buildings and spire will be completed in 1972.

Before work began on the gallery, a prototype segment was built to solve problems of light and construction. All details were costed before the start in 1962 and a tight construction

ROY GROUNDS

schedule was draughted and main- tained.

From the street the gallery appears as a four-storey building, but below ground are a further five levels hous- ing a large car park, workrooms, storage space and general offices. The building measures 500 ft. long by 70 ft. wide and is clad enitrely in bluestone a stone found in most

of the historic houses of the city. As in these houses the stones are 3 ft. by ft. However no mortar joints are used, the stones being locked together with stainless steel pins.

Entry to the gallery is through a single archway, across reflecting pools. Approximately 50ft. wide and 3ft. deep, the pools run the length of the building, interrupted only by the

L

Escalators from main entrance to first floor gallery

34

architect

entrance; they will eventually contain sculpture, both above and below

water level.

Water is led from the roof to con- crete walls below a car park, where it is filtered, purified and reticulated through fountains to the pools. The archway frames a glass wall giving an unobstructed view through the en- trance foyer.

The architect devoted considerable research to the lighting of the galleries to achieve the same intensity of natural light on dull or sunny days. Artificial light will give the same eff- ect when the galleries are open at night.

The roof-lighting units, use the light-transmitting properties of perspex acrylic sheet, the reflective properties of aluminium and the corrosion re- sistance of a vacuum. They comprise two arched forms of in. perspex sheet, one clear and one opaque, be- tween which is expanded aluminium mesh.

sun.

The bright finish of the aluminium helps control radiant heat from the About 85 per cent of the heat is reflected. The expanded configura- tion of the aluminium helps to reduce glare by diffusing light.

Daylight enters the unit and direct sunlight is deflected by the aluminium through the upper layer of clear perspex. Indirect daylight is permit- ted to enter the building through the inner layer of perspex which further diffuses the light to provide even. shadowless interior illumination.

Controlled temperature

the

The gallery is claimed to be the first of its kind built for complete air- conditioning. The whole of building is mechanically ventilated and has a controlled temperature. Water used in the air-filtration plant is cooled outside by circulation through the pool, fountains and water towers.

To avoid the fatiguing prospect of long, rambling galleries, ceiling levels and floor coverings are varied. There are wall-to-wall carpets for the European and Australian sections, tiles for the Grecian antiques and wood-blocks for the Oriental galleries. Lifts and escalators connect the floors and toilets are provided every 150ft. The main galleries have an average width of 50ft.

The key of the overall design is

Far East BUILDER, August 1968.