NGV Great Hall

The ceiling of the NGV's Great Hall is an artwork in itself, made of coloured glass and steel frames. Leonard French was commissioned by the NGV's chief architect Sir Roy Grounds to create  "a ceiling that is a work of art in itself". Having never worked in glass before French had a steep learning curve over the five years (1965-1970) it took him to create the ceiling. Along with three assistants, French learnt the art of glass; splitting 25mm thick slabs of French and Belgium glass to fit his design. The ceiling is 13.72 metres high, 15.24 metres wide and 60.9 metres long, and is so heavy with glass and metal, that the triangular dips in the ceiling need to be held up by a series of steel columns. There are 224 large steel triangles filled with glass and steel, and each of these weighs 300 kilograms.

Looking up at the ceiling from the floor is surreal, because of the vastness of the design and the way the light interacts with it. The combination of the bright primary colours, and the way the light shines through them creates a very peaceful safe atmosphere. Glancing up at the ceiling makes you want to lie down and contemplate the design and watch how the colours create patterns on the walls and floor.



NGV Great Hall ceiling