Bannister Gallery Floor Plan

This floor plan shows the layout of the Edward Mitchell Bannister Gallery in Roberts Hall (Room 124) at Rhode Island College. It outlines the main exhibition space along with nearby corridors, entry points, and support areas.

Gallery Layout and Size

The gallery is a roughly rectangular space measuring about 1,100 square feet. The walls in the main exhibition area are 10 feet high, with a ceiling height of approximately 11 feet 3 inches. The ceiling opens slightly into a structure supported by steel web roof trusses. Track lighting runs throughout the gallery and provides the primary illumination for exhibitions.

Entrances, Movement Through the Space and Work Areas

The main public entrance is located at the lower right of the plan. It is about 3 feet wide and opens directly from the Roberts Hall building corridor into the gallery. Just inside this entrance on the left, about 10 feet in, is a visitor sign-in desk which functions as an initial point of contact.

Above this sign-in desk are the main exhibition areas. There are two exhibition spaces separated by an 8.5-foot-long plaster dividing wall. A double-door entrance that is about 5.5 feet wide near the upper right connects to an interior building corridor and sits near a set of descending stairs outside the gallery, which leads towards the top of the floorplan.

Along the left side of the gallery, near the back window, is the monitor’s desk. The desk is positioned so staff can easily observe both the entrances and the exhibition areas. In the lower left corner and along the left exterior wall, there are storage and utility areas that are not accessible to visitors.

Display Cases

• Three cases (about 4 feet wide × 4 feet high × 10 inches deep) are grouped outside the main gallery space toward the lower right side in Roberts Hall.
• Five cases (about 5 feet wide × 4 feet high × 4 inches deep) run along the outside right wall of the gallery in the interior corridor of Roberts Hall.
• Two additional cases of similar size are placed closer to the upper right of the interior corridor and above the descending staircase.

Architectural Features

A window sits in the upper left corner wall, bringing in some natural light. There is a no public access zone located behind the left wall next to the visitor sign-in desk. The right side of the gallery borders an interior corridor inside Roberts Hall that leads toward a stairwell and the nearby auditorium. The gallery is accessed from a main building corridor in Roberts Hall and sits adjacent to circulation spaces, including the interior corridor and stair access. Its layout supports both guided viewing and independent movement through the exhibitions.

For reference, the bottom of the plan is south, the top is north, the right side is east, and the left side is west.

Overall Layout

• The gallery is rectangular and approximately 1,100 square feet.
• The walls are approximately 10 feet high, with the ceiling reaching about 11 feet 3 inches.
• Most of the center of the room is left open, with a dividing wall slightly above the middle of the gallery, arranged so visitors can move comfortably through the space on either side of the dividing wall.

South Side (Bottom of Plan)

• The main entrance, located near the southeast corner, is a doorway approximately three feet wide that opens directly from the Roberts Hall corridor into the gallery.
• Inside this entrance, a visitor sign-in desk sits on the left, serving as the first point of contact.
• Outside the initial gallery entrance is a lobby that runs along the south side of the gallery. This extends past the auditorium to the building’s main front entrance. 
• Another corridor branches off to the left just outside the gallery main entrance, providing a secondary access route into and out of Roberts Hall.

East Side (Right Side)

• The east wall provides nearly continuous exhibition wall space.
• A clear path runs along this side, helping to guide movement from the entrance further into the gallery.
• The wall before the 5.5-feet wide double-door side entrance is 38 feet long, and the rest of the wall after is 10 feet long connecting to the north wall.

North Side (Top of Plan)

• The north exhibition wall is 20 feet long, which connects on the left side with the monitor’s desk space.
• The north wall connects at a 45 °angle to the east wall.

West Side (Left Side)

• On the west side, a 35-foot-long exhibition wall provides another large, continuous display area within the gallery.
• In the northwest corner, the monitor’s desk is set slightly apart from the main gallery space. It is defined by a partial desk enclosure that creates a small work zone without fully closing it off.
• Behind this exhibition wall are building areas not accessible to the public.

Center of the Room

• The central floor area contains an 8.5 feet long plaster wall that divides the exhibition space, with more space weighted towards the southern side of the gallery. This dividing wall does not connect to either the west wall or the east wall.
• The space between the west wall and the east wall is approximately 22 feet.

Lighting and Ceiling

• Track lighting runs across the ceiling and provides the main illumination for exhibitions.
• Above, the ceiling structure is supported by steel web trusses, which extend slightly higher than the wall height.

This description follows a typical path a visitor might take when moving through the gallery.

Entering the Gallery

You enter through a doorway at the southeast corner of the room. Just inside, about 10 feet in and slightly towards the left, is a visitor sign-in desk. From here, the gallery opens up ahead, with clear sightlines across most of the space.

To Your Left (West Side)

If you turn left, you’ll move toward the west side of the gallery. A monitor’s desk is located in the far left corner that creates a partially separated work area. Beyond this wall are building areas that are not accessible for the public inside the gallery.

Moving Forward into the Center

Walking straight ahead from the entrance, the front half of the gallery remains open. There are no permanent fixtures in this area, so movement is flexible and unobstructed. However there is often a bench in the front half of the gallery. An 8.5 foot plaster wall divides the front half from the smaller back half of the gallery and allows for movement around both sides of the wall.

To Your Right (East Side)

Upon entering from the south entrance there is a long exhibition wall on your right side. This side of the gallery is primarily open wall space used for displaying artwork. A secondary double-door entrance is available along this side of the gallery. Additional exhibition wall space extends beyond this secondary entrance.

Far End of the Room (North Side)

Continuing toward the far end brings you to the north wall. This wall functions as additional exhibition space, with some of the left corner blocked off for the monitor’s desk.

Getting Around the Space

You can move freely throughout the gallery. When sculptures are on display a clear path of at least 36 inches will be available between the artworks. There are two interior doors into and out of the exhibition space. One on the south side and one on the northeast side.