Vision

A beautifully illustrated celebration of one of the nation's most remarkable buildings - Australia's National Gallery.


The story of the conception of the National Gallery of Australia building - its design, construction and controversial aftermath - has all the qualities of a Promethean struggle. Planned in the open-minded 1970s but birthed in the more conventional 1980s, the National Gallery building has not always been understood or embraced.

Forty years since the opening of the National Gallery on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, it's time to recognise the building's ambition, beauty and, as Phillip Goad writes, 'dare to uncover its bones, revel in its concrete presence and retrieve its vision'.

Vision is a celebration of this significant landmark in the history of Australian architecture, exploring the gallery in its entirety - from its founding on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country to its status today as a world-renowned gallery.

Designed by John Warwicker, this elegant volume features an essay by internationally respected architectural historian Philip Goad and reflections from National Gallery curators Lucina Ward and Simeran Maxwell on the gallery's first exhibition, alongside never-before-published images from the Gallery's photographic archive.

Vision will appeal to lovers of art, architecture and Australian history.

About the Author

Since it was first established in 1967, the National Gallery has played a leadership role in shaping visual arts culture across Australia. Forty years on from the official opening of the Col Madigan building, it continues to be a national cultural leader, championing a contemporary cultural agenda with art and artists at the heart of its engagement with the community.