As part of a NSW government initiative to improve accessibility, sustainability & functionality across Sydney’s cultural venues. The National Art School, formerly Darlinghurst Gaol, has received a stone, landscaping, and lighting revival across three of its key historical building’s. Utilising specialist lighting such as high-powered linear grazers, Inground uplighters and high-performance projector luminaires with customised mounting. Lowa Lighting are delighted to have been able to contribute to the much-deserved heritage refurbishment of yet another historic Sydney landmark.

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"The National Art School, is located on the site of the former Darlinghurst Gaol. In 1822 building began on Darlinghurst Gaol, one of Sydney’s earliest prisons which opened in 1841 and operated until 1914. Of the many thousands of inmates held here in that time, 76 people were hanged between 1841 and 1907.

The National Art School moved into the former gaol buildings in 1922, as part of Sydney Technical College, later East Sydney Technical College. The School gained autonomy as an educational institution in 1996, and became the sole occupant of the Darlinghurst site in 2005.

In 2019 NAS signed a 45-year lease to remain on the site and was designated a State Significant Organisation with ongoing funding; in 2021 the former Darlinghurst Gaol and National Art School received a NSW heritage listing as Sydney’s oldest surviving gaol complex.

In 2022 NAS celebrated 100 years of teaching art on this site, and 200 years since building began on the Gaol. NAS is one of only two independent tertiary art schools operating in Australia."

https://nas.edu.au/history