NGV Table

The contemporary form and use of refined materials reflect the rich history and future of the National Gallery of Victoria. The table’s modern spirit is reflected in its geometric stainless steel understructure that elegantly supports a slender top, resulting in a timeless design that pays homage to the NGV’s culture and art.

The tabletop is available in a 12mm veneer, acid etched glass or paint, allowing it to match the materiality and palette of any interior. Meanwhile, tables are available in a number of sizes, ranging between 400 x 400mm and 1350 x 900mm.

Complementing the NGV Table, Schiavello and Mario also designed a range of bench seating. Available as a one, two, three and four-seater, the NGV Bench is a contemporary seat for public and living spaces including waiting rooms, libraries and education settings. With a fabric, leather or vinyl outer, the NGV Bench is hand made using the finest materials.

Australia's largest and most visited art museum, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) was originally designed by leading architect Sir Roy Grounds in 1968. Twenty years on, the gallery’s growth led to new needs and a rapidly growing international art collection. Italian architect Mario Bellini was appointed the principal architect for its major redevelopment.

Celebrating the launch of the redevelopment in 2003, the gallery commissioned Schiavello and Mario to create a public seating bench and table collection designed as a counterpart to the gallery’s new spaces and existing collections.

The table’s refined and contemporary design echoes Mario’s work on the NGV’s interior architecture – producing a design that enhances the gallery experience without competing with the surrounding artwork. Still today, 15 years after its release, the bench and tables still feature within the public areas throughout the gallery, a testament to their timeless and enduring design.

Mario Bellini is an internationally renowned Italian architect, urban and industrial designer. He was born in Milan in 1935 and graduated in 1959 from the Architecture School in Milan. He still lives and works in Milan today.

Since the 1980s, Mario has worked chiefly as an architect in Europe, Japan, the USA and the Arab Emirates. His renowned architectural creations include the Tokyo Design Centre (Japan), the National Gallery of Victoria (Australia), the Department of Islamic Art at the Louvre (Paris), the Natuzzi America Headquarters (USA) and the Milan Convention Centre (Italy).

“I consider every project a new exploration to be faced with curiosity, maximum mental openness and renewed creative energy,” says Mario.

Mario has received the Golden Compass Award eight times, and other prestigious architecture awards. He has 25 of his works in the permanent design collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art, which dedicated a personal retrospective to him in 1987.