1.
The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Peter Bowtell
Introduction How did this come to be? Underpinning the NGV collection is the Felton Bequest.
You don’t have to be a Victorian to truly understand In 1904, an eccentric Melbourne businessman named Alfred Felton died, having
how important the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) lived his life in a modest bedroom above a hotel in an inner-city seaside suburb.
is to Melbourne, but it helps; such is the connection But his donation of the then massive sum of £400 000 enabled the NGV to
between this collection and its community. purchase, over time, some 15 000 works by masters such as Van Gogh, Monet,
From modest beginnings in 1861, the NGV now Cézanne, Rembrandt, Turner, and Constable, together with one of the best
houses one of the most diverse and internationally collections of Australian art in the southern hemisphere.
significant art collections in the world. Having established the collection, a permanent home was needed to display
these treasures, which were hung for some years at Melbourne’s Swanston Street
library, museum and art gallery. In 1956 (the year that Melbourne hosted the
Olympic Games), the Victorian Government of the day passed the National Art
‘Good architecture can Gallery and Cultural Centre Act, and planning for the new NGV commenced.
Roy Grounds (1905-1981), now recognized as one of Australia’s leading Modernist
have a series of new lives’
architects, was commissioned to design the building. Thus began what was at
Mario Bellini times a controversial 10-year journey. It was to end in the delivery of what became
the defining work of his career.
The NGV’s new home in St Kilda Road, Melbourne, was first opened to the
public in 1969, and the architect was knighted in the same year. Like a fortress,
surrounded by defensive moat and high bluestone walls, the building focused
inward on gallery spaces, surrounding and separated by three imposing courtyards.
A Water Wall, flowing continuously from ceiling to pavement, dominated the large
formal entry though a single masonry arch. More than anything else, it was this that
captured the hearts and minds of Victorian children as they came to discover the
wonders within for the first time.
20 The Arup Journal 1/2005
2. Longitudinal section showing, left to right, Coles Court, Federation Court, and Murdoch Court.
Re-visioning the Gallery
By the mid-1990s, the Gallery’s collection had expanded to over 60 000 items, with
hanging space at a premium. An international competition to redevelop it was held,
and the Italian practice of Mario Bellini Associati, working with Arup in London, won
the competition. Bellini, best known for his industrial design and work for Olivetti,
was then appointed, in conjunction with local Australian architects Metier 3. While
early plans considered substantial extensions to the existing NGV, a separate 4. 3-D modelling of the three new roofs over Coles Court,
Federation Court, and Murdoch Court.
decision to also build a new gallery for Australian art at Federation Square meant
that attention at the NGV turned to maximizing space for the international collection
within Grounds’ heroic complex.
Bellini came to the project with a European vision, determined to bring world- The primary aim was to increase exhibition
class gallery standards to the collection. At the same time, a fine balancing act was space by 25%, providing greater access to
required between the heritage aspects of the building fabric to be preserved and Victoria’s marvellous collection. At the same time
meeting the need to increase and extend floor area. Bellini and Metier 3 turned to it provided the opportunity to deliver new
Arup to help redefine the standards to be delivered for the premier gallery spaces, laboratories and technical facilities to enhance
and to propose ways to extend the building within the confines of the original conservation and curatorial activities, and to
design. Given the purity of the building’s form and layout, the new floor and upgrade other back-of-house facilities, as well as
curatorial space had to be won mainly from within the existing envelope. catering and retail provision.
Original design for internal environment
From the beginning, Arup worked closely with Bellini
3. The dramatic entry to the new exhibition spaces, showing the steel ramps with glass floor,
cantilevered from the side of the exhibition boxes.escalators and circulation spine. and Metier 3 to develop the concept and schematic
design for all engineering aspects of the project,
including temperature and humidity control, lighting
and power, fire engineering, acoustics, and
structure. With a considerable track record in
conservation standards and innovative servicing
solutions for galleries, Arup’s building services team
in London worked with Bellini to establish the
principles for conditioning each of the proposed
spaces. These were then passed on to a local
consultant team to implement and deliver.
The key features of the conceptual designs were:
• construction of two major new gallery spaces
within existing courtyards
• enclosure of the central courtyards and
establishment of a clear circulation spine
• low-level floor ventilation systems for the new
gallery spaces, to save energy and achieve good
environmental quality
• environmental control standards for temperature,
relative humidity, and air quality
• an integrated services distribution strategy
working within existing spaces
• a performance-based approach to fire egress
and fire protection.
The Arup Journal 1/2005 21
Delivering the building Federation Court roof
After the building concepts were successfully Addressing what was regarded as one of the difficulties in the original design, the
agreed in late 1997, attention focused on turning new plans focused on providing visitors with clear and unambiguous circulation
the vision into reality. A six-year journey to project within the Gallery. The cornerstone of this effort was to roof Federation Court, which
completion in 2003, at a cost of A$160M, had thus becomes the clear starting point for all subsequent visitor exploration of the
begun. Arup’s role, following the services design building, by whatever route. The new glass roof spans clear across the 28m square
concept work already noted, concentrated on the courtyard, supported by a filigree of four orthogonal cable trusses in each direction,
full structural, civil and façade engineering of the barely visible from floor level. Based on the geometry of a sphere, each glazing bar
redevelopment, carried out by Arup’s Melbourne lies on a great circle of over 3000m radius, keeping every element consistent in
office. David Beauchamp (Beauchamp Hogg length and curvature.
Spano), one of the original engineers on the building The most substantial roof elements are the 150mm x 100mm rectangular hollow
in 1969, worked with Arup’s structural team to sections on each of the cable truss lines, but typically the dimensions of the other
provide an insight into the original design, which at hollow sections reduce to 150mm x 50mm on each of the glass lines, the minimum
times was found to be both novel and inventive. width required for support. The self-weight of the glass is sufficient to resist uplift
For example the building, far from being a single from wind loadings, keeping the structure simple and elegant in form.
structure, had been subdivided by expansion joints
into over 30 separate segments, each independent
of the others. The stability and integrity of each 6. Exploded image of the steel roof structure and glass over Federation Court. The white lines
demonstrate how the entire roof structure is derived from a sphere.
element had to be carefully considered each time a
new intervention was considered.
Re-working the plan
In plan form the building is a simple rectangle,
divided into three squares each with a central
courtyard, known respectively as Coles Court,
Federation Court, and Murdoch Court. In Bellini’s
revised treatment, these courtyard spaces have
been utilized to redefine the visitor’s experience of
the Gallery. Having passed the Water Wall at the
entrance, visitors arrive in the heart of the building in
Federation Court, originally an open-air sculptural
garden. From here a clear decision about what
route to follow can be made: either to pass into the
newly-created gallery spaces in Coles and Murdoch
Courts, or to take the new escalators up into the
upper level galleries, or to continue on, passing
through the Great Hall, under the magnificent
Leonard French ceiling, and out into the sculpture
garden beyond. 7. Close-up of the completed roof.
5. Detail of Federation Court roof ‘spider’ clamp.
22 The Arup Journal 1/2005
To provide taller galleries of 4.5m (5.3m on the
upper floor), the new suspended floors sit halfway
between the floor levels in the existing building.
Access is via a steel ramp, cantilevered from the
side of the exhibition boxes, with a floor comprising
two layers of 19mm glass, laminated, with a
sacrificial top sheet of 8mm fritted glass. The result
is a dramatic entry to each space that also enables
light to spill from the top skylight to the floor below.
What could otherwise be a dark and gloomy space
becomes a dramatic and vibrant transition between
the new and old structures.
Slab strengthening
In several areas, existing openings in the floor slab
had to be infilled. To minimize demolition, externally-
mounted, epoxy-bonded steel plates, 100mm wide
8. Federation Court on the opening day of NGV International. by 4mm thick at 400mm centres, were surface-fixed
to the underside of the slab. This achieved the
required ultimate slab strength.
While the roof geometry created by the surface of the sphere dictated a warped Detailed study of the performance of this
surface for each rectangular piece of glass, the variation was kept to a minimum so approach to strengthening enabled confidence to
that simple flat square glazing could be adopted. Careful detailing enabled these be developed in the design methodology and
minor variations across each panel to be accommodated in glazing gaskets. installation.
External spider bracket clamps are located in the frame at each corner of every
piece of glass, providing a mechanical fixing in addition to a structural silicone seal.
This avoids holes within the glass, ensuring that water cannot enter the space 9. The 16m square mezzanine connects to the concrete columns
below. through steel collars and dowels.
The result is a roof that is delightfully light and elegant, and at the same time
extremely cost-effective.
Bistro slab and mezzanine
An entirely new entry lobby welcomes visitors. Existing lift slabs and escalators have
been removed and replaced by a steel-framed mezzanine, clad in a shimmering
stainless steel mesh. Limited to support on two grids of existing columns, the 16m
square mezzanine connects to the concrete columns through steel collars and
dowels, cantilevering forward by up to 10m to support new escalators and
circulation spine. Arup’s fire engineering strategy enabled the use of unprotected
steel, permitting its clear expression as part of the architecture. On the upper levels,
the steel floor framing doubles as mechanical distribution ductwork, avoiding the
need for separate ducting within the space.
Coles and Murdoch Court Galleries
Flanking Federation Court are two new major exhibition spaces providing an extra
2500m2 of gallery space over three levels. Inserted into the existing Coles and
Murdoch Courts, they are shaped as two cubes with skewed-off axes.
By careful reanalysis of the existing structure, it proved possible to accept the
addition of the extra floors on the existing piled foundations and columns, with only
limited transfer structure needed to spread concentrated loads. The new boxes are
steel-framed, with composite steel floors clear-spanning the 20m between walls.
A cruciform of 900mm deep primary steel beams and 460mm deep secondary
beams was adopted for the floor, to provide the best co-ordination with the low-
level servicing strategy.
The floors are designed for uniform live loads of 5kPa and point loads of up to
2 tonnes. A fire engineering design approach, which considered the protection
provided by plasterboard ceilings and walls, avoided the need for additional
passive fire protection.
The Arup Journal 1/2005 23
Conclusion
In realising the new National Gallery of Victoria -
now NGV International - Melbourne has established
a world-class home for its significant collection. In a
sensitive refurbishment, this gallery has been
touched by the hand of another European master,
that of Mario Bellini. With skill and passion the
spaces within this important 1960s edifice have
been renewed and reinterpreted. For some, the
‘blank canvas’ is the ultimate creative confrontation,
but to rework spaces within the physical constraints
10. Completed European Gallery. of what already exists can be equally challenging.
The design team has endeavoured to ensure that
the engineering systems and structures add clarity
European Galleries, south end of form and elegance of detail to the new
The NGV wanted to tailor spaces to suit the items on display, and in the south wing interventions within the NGV’s spaces, contributing
the floor-to-ceiling height was doubled by removing both the existing floors at levels to what may be regarded as one of the best
1 and 3, together with two rows of columns previously passing through the floors. galleries in the world.
Commencing with the installation of new columns within the existing wall zones,
new steel beams were introduced below the existing slabs and jacked to take over Web links
the load of the floor. Beams were arranged in pairs, each side of the columns, http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvinternational/
enabling the columns to be cut out and removed after preloading was completed. http://www.bellini.it/main/index.cgi
This design approach minimized the temporary works required for the demolition http://www.metier3.com.au/
and at the same time maximized the amount of structure that could be recycled. http://www.majorprojects.vic.gov.au/
Internal environment of galleries
Arup’s concept for the galleries’ internal conditions took its cue from the firm’s
successful design for Tate Modern1 in London. A low-level air supply solution was Credits
Client: National Gallery of Victoria Project manager:
proposed, and acknowledged as energy-conscious and cost-effective. This entailed
Major Projects Victoria Architects: Mario Bellini Associati
supplying air at 18-20°C, with a minimum of 4.5 air changes/hour for environmental in association with Metier 3 Multidisciplinary engineer:
stability. A full CFD analysis confirmed the system’s performance and ability to Arup - Peter Bowtell, Peter Duggan, Peter Haworth,
Brendon McNiven, David Shrimpton, Barry Steinmeyer,
maintain conditions within the onerous tolerance bands of relative humidities.
Tim Thornton, Debbie West, Neill Woodger, Mohsen Zikri
The servicing solutions as built reverted to an overhead supply in the existing Associate structural engineer: Beauchamp Hogg Spano
galleries, but the displacement system was kept in the critical areas of Federation M&E, fire, security and hydraulic engineer: Lincolne
Scott Acoustic engineer: Marshall Day Builder:
Court and the new courtyard gallery boxes. This gives the new spaces improved
Baulderstone Hornibrook Illustrations: 1, 3, 9,10: John
levels of environmental control and comfort, and significant energy benefits. Gollings; 2: Metier 3; 4-6: Julio Monterrosa; 7: Peter
Bowtell; 8: Martin Saunders
Mouse hole entry auditorium and theatrette
At the north end of the building, two new lecture theatres have been fitted neatly in
the original galley wings. Deliberately stacked ‘head-to-tail’, they minimize space
take and modifications to the existing fabric. Displacement ventilation from the floor Reference
plenum assists in minimizing the overall envelope for the spaces. Specially treated (1) HIRST, J, et al. Tate Modern. The Arup Journal, 35(1),
pp3-11, 3/2000.
to give total acoustic separation from the rest of the NGV, the theatres have been
engineered for full multimedia presentation and lecture facilities.
Water Wall
The Water Wall, a key feature of Grounds’ original design, had always welcomed
visitors at the St Kilda Road entrance, but in the refurbishment it has been moved
forward. Previously located on grid, the new shear glass wall now sits closer to the
main entrance, proud and free of the existing columns. Arup Façade Engineering
worked with Bellini and Metier 3 to reinvent the system, now one smooth sheet of
water over 11m high and 20m long. An innovative glass dam collects water at the
head of the window, ensuring a uniform flow over the entire face. The result is more
translucent, an uninterrupted curtain of water cascading from head to toe. To see it
is to be drawn into its spell, and to resist touching the flow denies the inner child!
24 The Arup Journal 1/2005
