Free gallery and art studio layout blocks for AutoCAD (DWG): exhibition walls, plinths, easels, presses

About the sizes

Gallery and studio equipment is not standardised, so the blocks use the sizes that suppliers commonly list: exhibition partitions in 1200, 2400 and 3600 mm, sculpture plinths from 300 to 1000 mm, a gallery bench 1800 x 500 mm, a flat file 1200 x 900 mm, an etching press with a 1400 mm bed, a top-loading kiln 1000 mm across, a studio easel about 900 mm wide. Check them against your supplier's data sheets before you order.

The blocks are our own drawings, not copies of any catalogue, and the library is not certified. They are meant to plan the arrangement and count items, not to show that a building meets conservation, fire, accessibility or safety rules. Take light limits, climate ranges, escape routes, kiln clearances and extraction from the rules that apply to your site and from the equipment makers' guidance.

Frequently asked questions

Which items are in the library?

Walls and hanging, display and plinths, lighting and environment, visitor services, storage and handling, painting and drawing studio, printmaking, ceramics and sculpture, 11 room layouts and 5 markers. The school library already has art tables, an easel row, a sink trough, a small kiln and a pottery wheel; the retail library has display plinths; the university library has exhibition cases and a conservation bench. Those are not repeated here.

Can I get a hanging list from the drawing?

Yes. Every framed work carries SIZE_MM, ARTIST, TITLE, YEAR, MEDIUM, INV_NO, HANG_HEIGHT_MM and LUX_MAX as invisible attributes, other blocks carry SIZE, MANUFACTURER, MODEL and QTY, and light fixtures carry WATTAGE_W, BEAM_DEG, COLOUR_TEMP_K and DIMMER_CH. Fill them in the attribute editor, export the blocks with BlockSync and sort by wall or by room. The sample values are placeholders, not manufacturer data.

Can I use the symbols in commercial projects?

Yes. They are free to use and modify in your own projects, including commercial ones. They are provided as is, without warranty.

How is this different from the school, retail and university libraries?

Those libraries have the furniture that any school, shop or campus needs, including a few art room pieces, display plinths and exhibition cases. This library adds what a gallery, a museum or a professional studio needs: exhibition walls and hanging, plinths and vitrines in many forms, track lighting and climate control, visitor services, art storage and handling, easels, printmaking presses, kilns and sculpture benches. They use the same sizes and the same look, so you can mix them in one plan.

Can I change a symbol or add attributes?

Yes. Open the DWG, edit a block with BEDIT to change it or add attributes, and save. To update drawings that already contain the block, run ATTSYNC or replace the block. Make a backup first: attribute values can be lost if ATTSYNC is used carelessly.

Where do I find a ready-made set of these symbols for AutoCAD?

AutoCAD itself ships only a small set of sample blocks, so a full symbol set has to come from a library. Download the ZIP on this page and open the DWG: every symbol is a block. Insert one with INSERT (Blocks palette, Libraries tab, then pick the DWG) or drag it from DesignCenter (ADCENTER). You can also download a single symbol on its own.