The new south façade conceals the factory-like exterior of the original building, which opened in 1982. Instead of this dismal aspect, which confused many visitors as to its purpose and led them to go elsewhere in Canberra in pursuit of art, a façade that looks like an art museum presents itself. It has the clarity of purpose one associates with some of the recently built German art museums, notably Stephan Braunfels’s Pinakotek der Moderne, in Munich. A single column on the south-west corner announces the building and the entrance vestibule. On the other side of the entrance, The Aboriginal Memorial is visible through glass. It is the first work of art that the visitor encounters inside the building.

Further east, pairs of glass doors lead out from Gandel Hall, the new function space, onto a terrace and lawns. Higher up on the façade, the flat sections of the cast concrete neatly doubled as a projection surface on opening night. The new wing covers much of the south side of the building, and, with the landscaping and Turrell installation, replaces the all-too-visible car park. A path of Mintaro slate, one of many Australian materials featured in the new wing, leads to the new ground level entrance. Inside, a vast multi-panelled screen of translucent marble provides a necessary and attractive shield from the western sun. To the right is The Aboriginal Memorial, in a permanent setting. Nearby, suspended above a double-height hall, floats a gigantic metal fishtrap. 

The new wing of the NGA. Photograph by John Gollings

In addition to the new front door, the extension creates a substantial foyer, bookshop, areas for receptions, and, most importantly, a large display space for the NGA’s collection of more than 7500 indigenous works of art. Although a wing for temporary exhibitions was created in 1998, this is the first extension to the permanent collection display space since the building was opened. There is so much more to see; at last it feels like a true national gallery. Years ago I overheard a bewildered American couple say, ‘Is this all there is?’ Such responses should now be things of the past.

Although all the state galleries now have dedicated spaces for their indigenous art collections, the NGA’s new rooms go a long way towards setting fresh standards for display. This is certainly the most visitor-friendly place in the country in which to gain a quick overview of indigenous art. The ten galleries on the main floor, in clearly labelled rooms, take the visitor through regions, periods, and media. Having taken the escalator to this level, aligned with the NGA’s principal floor, there are introductory works– contemporary and historical – which present a clear dialogue between past and present. There are works by Fiona Foley and Emily Kam Kngwarray, and also bicornual baskets and Tasmanian Aboriginal necklaces. The circuit proper commences with a circular indigo-coloured room, Early Western Desert 1971–74, devoted to small paintings on board from Papunya. This room is directly above, and overlooks, The Aboriginal Memorial. The development of central Australian painting follows, with Desert Paintings from 1975, and off this a small room devoted to the Hermannsburg School – watercolours and ceramics – which features watercolours by Albert Namatjira, recently donated by Gordon and Marilyn Darling. Succeeding in the enfilade is the Kimberley, and off this another small room, Textiles, with batik and printed fabrics and baskets. Further galleries are Bark Painting and Sculpture after 1980, Tiwi Islands, North Queensland; Torres Strait Islands; Urban; Bark Paintings and Sculpture before 1980; Prints and Drawings.

Gandel Hall, NGA. Photograph by John Gollings

The overwhelming effect of these galleries is lightness and clarity. The majority use natural light, diffused through glass panels overhead, supplemented by discrete artificial lighting. The walls are a soft putty colour, the floors a warm terrazzo. The human scale of these galleries makes the contrast with the overwhelming spaces in the adjoining building even more acute. The architects have made sympathetic references to the main building by the use of cast concrete and columns with niches, and Adelaide designer Khai Liew has continued to supply attractive and functional seating.

The new wing will inevitably beg comparison with the main building. Some visitors may wish that the latter could be demolished and replaced with something that not only looks better but also, more importantly, adheres to its primary purpose as an art museum building – the sympathetic display of art. The new wing, being on one level and on a grid, is much easier to navigate. Here, the British architect David Chipperfield springs to mind. He said of one of his recent German projects that you want to lose yourself in a museum and surrender yourself to the experience, but that you also want to be able to orientate yourself.

Just how much time and money have been lavished on the new doors alone is clear when one visits Gandel Hall. One wall and the many pairs of doors to this space are covered in gold leaf. It brings a new luxury and opulence to the NGA – a far cry from the bush-hammered concrete walls of the main building only metres away.