Entry to the Gallery is via the Tim Fairfax Forecourt. It is a 15.5m wide by 22m deep, paved concrete area.
On the far side of the Tim Fairfax Forecourt, your back to the concourse is the Geo Face Distributor sculpture made of enamel paint on cast aluminium. 15m further on from the sculpture is the outdoor seating area for the Gallery Café, and 30m beyond the sculpture, around to your left, a balcony terrace that runs alongside the building. Adjacent to the Café Terrace are 6 1m x 1m x 0.5m cement cubes the width of the concourse and set 2m apart.
Walk approximately 20m into the Tim Fairfax forecourt. A 15m wide series of glass and wood panels mark the front entrance. The entry door is 1.1m wide. On the far right, there is a wheelchair accessible door. A large green button to activate the door opening mechanism is located to your right on a wooden pillar 2.5m before the door.
Ridged carpet and metal, 6.5m deep by 13m wide, underfoot. To pass through the entry threshold, cross 2.5m of ridged carpet. Over to your right is the shop and café. To your left the pre-COVID cloaking room, Liangis Theatre and toilet access.
Continue 3m. The ridged carpet ends A stone floor commences. Travel 6m straight ahead. To your immediate right is a thin green sign, 1.5m high by 40cm wide with COVID conditions of entry. After 3m to your right is a red and white donation box, 1.3m high by 40cm by 40cm, continue to another set of panels and doors.
A 1.1m wide, glass and wood doortakes you into the 25m deep and 15 wide, Gordon Darling foyer.
Theatre, toilets and amenities
Enter the through the first set of glass and wooden doors means you are standing in the threshold area. 9m to your left takes you past the now closed cloakroom area. A self-service cloaking area is now temporarily inside the Gallery foyer.
The old cloakroom area walls are a rich, glossy Jarrah, leading to a 1.1m long, 2m wide threshold T intersection:
Turn left for the Liangis Theatre and mini-foyer. Entrance to the Liangis Theatre is straight ahead from here, via a 7m long, 1.8m wide corridor to wooden entrance doors. A brightly lit waiting area opens out to the right, where comfortable couch seating is available along either side of the room.
Male, female toilets and an Accessible toilet are available at the other end of this corridor. Turning right instead of left, and a further sharp left at the T junction, threshold after the Jarrah cloaking space to walk down a 1.8m wide passageway. Parents room and Ladies restroom are located on the left hand side of the corridor, Accessible toilet and men’s toilets are to the right.
Handwashing facilities inside the toilets include basins and wall- mounted soap dispenses to the left of the basin.
In the corridor that leads to these amenities, the walls are white and round wooden detail, like half poles are set into the walls, protruding at regular intervals, they are 15 cm apart. These vertical wooden features are also door handles for the amenities.
The toilets are brightly lit and fragranced. The accessible toilet door opens outwards into the corridor, it is the first door on your right.
An alternative accessible toilet is located beyond the 25m deep foyer – over on the right, down a 20m long corridor and past the Donor wall (names in elegant columns on the wall, protected by glass) and the function rooms. Turn right, progress a further 10m and the Accessible toilet door opens outwards.
The emergency assistance button is located under the toilet roll dispenser, located to your left.
Café and Shop
The café and shop are considered separate indoor spaces. They are located to the right, inside the gallery entrance prior to the Gordon Darling Hall.
As you enter, turn right in the first 3m after entry. After approximately 5m, underfoot changes from ridged carpet to smooth concrete. As this occurs, the gift shop opens out to your right. Continue along the corridor, which is 2m wide at its narrowest point, walk 19m from the end of the ridged carpet into the café. A high glass counter displaying food commences here. You will need to make a right turn at the counter and progress a further 5 meters, with the counter on your left, to arrive at the cashier to place your order. Seating is available inside and outside from this point.
Gordon Darling Hall and Galleries entrance
As you enter through the glass and wooden doors into the Foyer, known as the Gordon Darling Hall 6m beyond the doors is a centrally located free standing computer kiosk for booked tickets and COVID check in. This service is unattended and self service. Further assistance is available at the information desk.
On the left, a 90cm x 60cm x 60cm concrete plinth which holds a big, fresh spray of Australian native flowers, a further 6m into the open space Hall and 6m over to your left, the information desk is set against the left hand wall. This 7m long, Jarrah information desk is constantly attended by friendly and knowledgeable gallery staff.
Behind the information desk are 2 x tv screens, 2m long by 90cm high.
As you are facing the information desk, 7m to your left, is the entrance to the galleries, through the Marilyn Darling Gallery. Or gallery 1. There are 9 gallery spaces beyond this point, known as circulation galleries. Gallery 1 is connected to 2 and 3 by a 5m corridor. Similarly, Galleries 4 ,5 ,6 and 7 are connected beyond Galleries 2 and 3 by a 5m wide corridor.
Galleries 8 and 9 are to the right of the information desk.
11m meters, on your left, past the Marilyn Darling Gallery entrance is the cloaking facility, comprising a set of large wooden pigeon holes. This area is open and in full view of information desk staff and security. This is a self service area.
The entrance to the Marilyn Darling Gallery is a wide, wooden threshold. Upon making your way through the 3m threshold, you may register a notable change in the quality of the sound. The 12 meter long Gallery has air conditioning that enters the space 30cm above the gallery floor.
It is not possible to sure line in the Galleries as portraits line the walls, inclusive of the Marilyn Darling Gallery.
Attending a function in one of the Terrace Rooms is via large doors on the opposite side of the foyer to the information desk, to your right. A 6m wide passage runs the full length of the right hand side of the Gordon Darling Hall leading to these spaces.