NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA
An expansive signage system to support the NGA’s bold vision for the future.
Totems placed along Parkes Place serve multiple purposes: identifying arrival at the NGA, guiding visitors to the concealed entry, and encouraging exploration of the expansive grounds, which include three distinct sculpture collections and two car parks.
A digital program wall at the beginning of the visitor experience serves as an orientation hub, displaying both level information and spatial map, as well as promoting exhibitions and events.
A series of wall-mounted and freestanding digital signage elements provide visitors with additional points of orientation throughout the engaging and complex architecture.
A custom typeface and a series of bespoke pictograms have been developed to align with the new signage forms and resonate with the existing architectural language.
An intuitive gallery numbering system is a cornerstone of the wayfinding strategy, enhancing visitor navigation and increasing engagement with remote and hidden gallery spaces.
A system of illuminated signage provides primary information in a way that cuts through multiple lighting conditions and maintains a respectful dialog with the heritage listed architecture that is often thought of as the NGA's first artwork.
Sculptural folded steel forms guide visitors through the NGA grounds.
The task for the new wayfinding system was twofold: to enhance the visitor experience by making the gallery easier to navigate while encouraging exploration, and to introduce a design language that respects the past while supporting the NGA’s bold vision for the future. The keystone of the wayfinding strategy is an intuitive gallery numbering system paired with an axonometric map. Directing visitors to numbers rather than exhibition names is clear and bold, a concept reinforced throughout the entire navigation system. Clusters of large digital screens serve as orientation hubs, promoting exhibitions and events, while the map enhances spatial awareness. The signage elements create a new overlay—a contemporary interpretation of an Australian institution. The forms, much like the building, balance sculpture with function.