Beam Contemporary is located on the first floor of a small nineteenth century warehouse in Guildford Lane in Melbourne's CBD. This intimate laneway maintains a well preserved and architecturally uniform character that exemplifies the city's nineteenth century commercial history. Today, the laneway includes residences, offices, light industry and other art galleries, Screen Space and Utopian Slumps.
Beam Contemporary incorporates a single large gallery space, a small display area and a large open office that accommodates the display of works from the stockroom.
In contrast to the austerity of a self-enclosed 'white-cube', Beam Contemporary's gallery space incorporates the unique architectural character of the building, as well as natural light via large windows. As such, artists often respond to, and engage with, the specificity of the space. This architectural quality contributes to the gallery's aim for an inclusive and open environment; a space for experimentation and discussion.
