--- title: "Evacuation Diagrams for Art Galleries in Australia" description: "Art galleries must protect irreplaceable artworks, manage visitor flow, and address heritage building constraints. Learn the AS 3745 evacuation diagram requirements for gallery and exhibition spaces." canonical: https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagrams-for-art-galleries source: https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagrams-for-art-galleries --- # Evacuation Diagrams for Art Galleries in Australia > Art galleries must protect irreplaceable artworks, manage visitor flow, and address heritage building constraints. Learn the AS 3745 evacuation diagram requirements for gallery and exhibition spaces. _EvacPath Team · 2026-04-26 · 6 min read_ Art galleries occupy a unique position in emergency planning. They house irreplaceable or high-value artworks, attract large numbers of visitors (including school groups and tourists unfamiliar with the building), and frequently operate in heritage-listed buildings with layout constraints that complicate modern fire safety requirements. Commercial galleries, public institutions, artist-run spaces, and exhibition venues all share these challenges to varying degrees. Under [AS 3745](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-australia):2010, Planning for Emergencies in Facilities, every art gallery needs an Emergency Management Plan and compliant evacuation diagrams. The primary obligation is always the safety of people, not the protection of artworks, but a well-designed emergency plan can address both. ## Visitor Flow and Unfamiliar Patrons Art galleries attract a diverse range of visitors, many of whom are entering the building for the first time. Tourists, school groups, and casual visitors may have no knowledge of the building's layout beyond the entrance they came through. During a crowded exhibition opening or a weekend with a popular show, the gallery may contain hundreds of people who have never been in the building before. The evacuation diagram must be designed with first-time visitors in mind. Clear "You Are Here" indicators, obvious exit markings, and a legible floor plan are essential. Diagrams should be posted at the entrance, at each level change (stairs, lifts, ramps), and at any point where the layout becomes non-obvious (a corridor that bends, a room with multiple doorways, a dead-end gallery space). For galleries that host events (exhibition openings, lectures, performances, workshops), the occupancy may temporarily exceed normal levels. The Emergency Management Plan should include a maximum occupancy figure for each gallery space and a procedure for managing crowds that approach that limit. ## Heritage Buildings and Layout Constraints Many art galleries, particularly public institutions, operate in heritage-listed buildings. These buildings may have been designed in the 19th or early 20th century, well before modern fire safety standards existed. Common heritage building issues include narrow stairs, heavy timber doors, limited exit points, and internal layouts that do not conform to current egress standards. Heritage listing often restricts the modifications that can be made to the building. Adding a new fire exit, widening a stairway, or installing a modern fire stair enclosure may require heritage approval, which can be a lengthy and uncertain process. The evacuation diagram must reflect the building as it actually is, not as it would ideally be. Where heritage constraints limit the available exits or egress routes, the evacuation diagram should show all available options clearly. If a particular route is the only exit from a section of the gallery, this should be obvious from the diagram. The Emergency Management Plan should include compensating measures (additional wardens, earlier alarm response, reduced occupancy limits) to offset the limitations of the heritage building. ## Artwork Protection and Evacuation Priority The first principle of emergency management is always the safety of people. No artwork, regardless of its value, should delay the evacuation of people from a building. This point must be clearly understood by all staff, volunteers, and wardens. That said, many galleries have artwork salvage plans that can operate in parallel with, and after, a safe evacuation of people. A salvage plan identifies the most valuable or irreplaceable items, their locations, and the order in which they should be removed if conditions permit. Salvage operations are conducted only after all people have been evacuated and only if it is safe to do so. The evacuation diagram does not need to include artwork salvage information. Salvage plans are typically documented separately and held by the gallery's security or collections team. However, the evacuation diagram should accurately show the gallery layout, including the locations of any fire suppression systems (sprinklers, gas suppression in high-value storage areas), because these systems are relevant to both people safety and artwork protection. - People safety always takes priority over artwork protection - Artwork salvage plans operate after people have been evacuated - Fire suppression systems (sprinklers, gas suppression) should be shown on diagrams - Climate-controlled storage rooms may have sealed doors that affect egress - High-value storage areas may have restricted access; show emergency exit routes from these areas ## Gallery Storage, Workshops, and Back-of-House Areas Behind the public gallery spaces, most art institutions have extensive back-of-house areas: artwork storage rooms, conservation workshops, framing workshops, photography studios, loading docks for receiving and dispatching artworks, and office spaces. These areas have their own hazards. Conservation and framing workshops may use flammable solvents (turpentine, acetone, mineral spirits), adhesives, and power tools. Art storage rooms may contain large quantities of combustible materials (paintings, frames, packing materials, crates). Photography studios may have high-powered lighting equipment. The evacuation diagram for back-of-house areas should show these spaces and their associated hazards. Loading docks in galleries are used for receiving and dispatching artworks, often via specialised art transport vehicles. During a receiving or dispatching operation, the loading dock may be obstructed by vehicles and packing materials. The evacuation diagram should show the exit route from the loading dock and an alternative route if the dock itself is obstructed. ## Temporary Exhibitions and Changing Layouts Unlike most workplaces where the floor plan is relatively stable, galleries frequently change their internal layout for temporary exhibitions. Movable walls, temporary partitions, raised platforms, projection screens, and suspended installations can all alter the egress routes within the gallery space. If a temporary exhibition changes the egress routes or blocks visibility of exits, the evacuation diagram must be updated for the duration of that exhibition. This is a requirement that many galleries overlook. A temporary wall that blocks the view of a fire exit from the gallery entrance effectively changes the evacuation route, and the diagram must reflect this. For galleries that change exhibitions frequently (every 6 to 12 weeks), a practical approach is to create a base diagram showing the permanent structure (walls, doors, stairs, exits, firefighting equipment) and overlay the temporary exhibition layout for each show. This reduces the cost and effort of updating diagrams with every exhibition change. ## Get Evacuation Diagrams for Your Art Gallery EvacPath creates AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams for public galleries, commercial galleries, artist-run spaces, exhibition venues, and museum galleries across Australia. We understand heritage building constraints, changing exhibition layouts, and the need for clear visitor wayfinding in complex gallery environments. Send us your floor plan and we will deliver print-ready PDFs in 3 to 5 business days. [No site visit](https://evacpath.com/how-it-works) required. Pricing starts at A$70 per diagram. Basic Package A$280 for up to 4 diagrams, Standard Package A$420 for up to 8 diagrams.