“I come here to write most days because I imagine I might think great thoughts in this light-filled chamber,” says Australian writer Hannie Rayson.
When you step into the Domed Reading Room, observes Time Out, you can almost hear the cogs turning in the minds of visitors. “People are studying, examining old books, and expanding their knowledge on anything from rare birds to architectural history … the domed La Trobe Reading Room is the most extravagant room at the library. It’s so peaceful; every page can be heard as it’s turned by readers.”
The room has changed a lot over the last 100 years, the library's tours manager Cathy Miller explains, and it’s been the location for a variety of art projects in recent years. “Melbourne band Faker filmed their video to ‘Hurricane’ there in 2008 and in 2010 artist Ross Coulter gathered volunteers to make 10,000 paper planes, which were then thrown all at once from the dome’s balcony.”