Faye Milligan, Victorian State Library Staircase (PLACES 2025)

When asked to name their favourite space in the Victorian State Library, most visitors nominate the glorious La Trobe Reading Room. Opened in 1913, the magnificent octagonal reading room is six storeys high and can house 32,000 books and 320 readers at its desks. The upper galleries were originally serviced by spiral metal staircases, which can still be seen in the corners of the room. Although, it is more than 100 years ago, this spiral staircase still looks graceful and appealing and adds an antique flavour to the space.

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