Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 9 : Construction of the cultural centre, 1977-1981

T!1c An Gallery which will ran ,. one of the must 111otlern and exc11 1111• in the world ltus 111:1ny unique u11!1 distinctlw feat m es incorporau·,t •11 its t.lesigtt. l;ul!cry space of 4,700 m 2 with VJryittg cclli1111 heir•Jtts wUI be grou r,-·t.l uiong u wuter mull cont11ini11g fountains and water sculpture ant.I this space will serve us an oricn tu tiot• urea for the gallery viewer und will link by wuy of foyers, lounges :in,1:t tt outside <.lining terrace with the Education, Library und Administ ration urcas of the gllllery which urc all located so as tu enjoy the views ove r the river. Tlter~ will be between the Musc,1111 and the Art Gallery, a pedestrian 11,all which will be suspendcu ubo~c tit,· outdoor sculpture gardens and tit,· water mall und will link with th,• t'luza areas, rite Auditorium, Restaurant 1111LI tlrn Library. The l'edestriun mall will bridge· Melbourne Street um! provide pat rum wishing to move to the l'erfor111 ing Arts with a walkway free from vehicular traffic us they cross Melbourne Street. The combination of this walkway bridge, the landscaped gan.lcns, the trees and fountains on both sides of Melbourne Street, wlll form a magnificent new ttntcwuy cntram;e to the dty throui:h which ull trufl'i< tu the city will puss. I It,· l ,00U scat Lyric Theatre 111 •.ltc l'erf n11i11 • ,\rts Ct1nlre will b,· c11p11blc of p1 uvid11 ~ a varia ble uudicttcc l'ap:id ty rnngi n~ l1u 111 1,000 ~l.!at s, I ,5 00 seuts to '.'. ,000 seals wh ile , till 1,:111tni11g the ,11111c high sta11du1d of ac-oustics and tltc intimute fe,·l trt • of tlte th,·tttrc . The 2,000 scat Concert llall will he a clussicul cottcert hall with u ,·uttec!'I pipe organ attd its acoustics will h,· based un the famous Musik VcreittsaaJ itt Vienna. Foyers, bars and spaces for the publk will be grouped overlook ing the t"·rraccs ancl ~anlcns und the nvcr und ctty I cyottcl . T h,• hack stage facilities of tltc llt,·a tr,·s ltuve been designed so thnl th,·y wtll fo rm with the Perforn1i11g Art s ·cntr,·s in the other Capital ': lies, a chain of theatres which will all 1,e capable of interchanging productions so us to achieve l'COnomics in the cost uf producing live thcutrc fut the public's enjoyment. Uars, bistros , cafcterius and restaurants will be located throughout tlte 101111complex with the maitt restaurant being on the river bank so as to provide terraces where patrons c:in ettjoy the ver vistas. The restaurant will be combined with a 500 sc~ t auditorium to provid e convention facilities which wtll he a splendid venue for Aust ruliun w1d,• conventions. llll I 1 ' .J\ . II., tf.l.!l lluu 'ini! t, 1.11 d , .II I llt)p Ill,. l' ~ • ..; \\ , '" • ' tl1i· ., , 1H1.· 1. ~-l'h.11'-' 1hc :tlu1\'c ,uh I 1 .•1•r 1 h 1 ''t ' Jl\l l' 1,,1.11 ,· ,, ·:11 "' """ 'l',I 11\ ''ll" 11 , , lH l" \\ ,, 111,·ud\.'' , 1\ 11111-.." 111d ,u•, 11 ,11t..1 l , 1 1 \ ~.. , 1 ~ ll,• wll t ul ~iris, ,ii' ,,, \\ (H• I I hJ \ \ 11 1,. I , 1\ J1.'1llf1,,•1,.'l 0 ,It k .1-.1 "' 1h1.•1r ttl'-~'-·•1 J ... q r1 -.. 1 '-° ·•It I \ll.)Lll.'ii 1111 1111 . I 'Item II; WI it' J1111 Ma~' 1r1111i.:k •· ,1rtt.:d th1,,• p1 ul.'l.'cd111~s wl11Jt.: \u111..11 was lh'Jlll!- 1 ·,J111pktcd Ulh.1 :tw g1 uup lhi..:n I p1 n 1.'t'1.'dl',1 1,, 1!1c f\.i1H..! lc r I ltr.i lr'l· tn du f\ 1t k I 111: I l\'l' pu 111.·l 1111,:11!1wr" llll l' ,1, n.:t \ l ul' ,•t:11u·111 prol.'1,,•n!l."J tu ,,..\.":tk 0 11 , ltr "l- r . ,nd t-:av1.· .1 • u. 11 •1,·1 ,1 tit• u ~-" ' . \ 1 cr ,Ill h1..Hir ,· , 1 W;t'\ apr 't:11 th.:l 1h 1.'ll' \\'1.'n' ' 1olll) jlh.t'b \.,f l r'"1.'-'Cl \1.tll:.11:'CJJICll l 1 •I l.'!1·Jrl .'lh c •stqnd h y tit • •.'lct!ill\!,, .tit I l"\11.'l1 " l...'ll ll' d iffcrc111.:c ur rn n u n hl.'l wc.1.•11 I he ~Pl't.Llu:r~. n,., Lil.lrary whtdt will house the St ale Library and the historical John t !\Icy Lihiury has been Jesigned so as t,J p11.·M:rv1.• Lhl' existing l:ugc Jacaranda tiecs un the site and in su J o ing, will 1..·n·at'-' an uutdunr l(cadin~ Room which will h,· 1111111111· 111 Austrnlia. Tit,· l{euJing Ro, ,11,s wtll b,· loca ted so as to over-look tlte trn·-sha,kd outdoor Reading Room ll'rrai.:l' und huv1.• 111.Jg.nifkcnt views or the river and tit,· clly beyond. Tlw render services uf the Library will be locaied at l'laza level and will c11joy both the river views anu the views o f the tree-shaded terraces. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Within sections of the profession t\•\.'I th1.'fl' is a confusion, a concern w1tlt huw to cope with developments i11 areltite,·ture and tit, realisation that .,rchite,·turc is not the exclusive p1ut1u,,1 o f architects. Not muny have 1.·,1 1111.· II• 1cr111s with the pn•tcnce of h1aild111~~ bl'ing i.:0111111unicaling u hJl'l'lS. I I Is a fact that specialist technologies have developed at a rupid tat,· unJ it is interesting to look back t" archit ectural practice in Brisbane 1, y,·urs ago wlten there was no such 1J11ng as acoustic t.:onsultant, Jandsc:.ipc planner, sociologist consultant , ,·nvtro t1t1ll'1tlal analyst, lighting c-unsultant , n, cthods analyst , indu~trialis,•d l•uilding manufacturer, a11d a ltust of other uctiv,tics all ·" 'oc,atrtl with builJing development. Nllw u~ well , there is project 111.111.1g1.·11111111 wi1h whh.:h to t.:ope. ·111 ll:1vc fears th.tt an.:hitc.~turc 1s in 11 ~ dc111b~· is ""'gativc anJ putting on I ii~· 1 1!111" ' l"'i. I.,, helter lo grasp the knowledge "' "lt:tl you ca n do a11d do it weiJ . I .11 ill't tcr to 1111swcr the 4uestions of .-1,.111f\,' even though these answers be 'I he 'ic'"·,,mt JtUlll.ll ul :.cV\JII ..:u r1sul1a11 r,1uw11crs/huiJtJcrs tl1c:11 1lt1 ew qunt 1uns at the fir~t punel , 1111J ' IIU' C(HHrOVl'J\iut IIIUltCl:t Cf\.' 1.h·),atcJ . ll o wcv1.·1 . 11 , us 11u1 untiJ 1hc "''-'S!'tlUII t n lluw 111g .l l(CIIIOO II ICU tl1 11 t ll1.!ll1,.'f da1 tl h.·,11 i 11 wni. ~\lc 11 o n tile whul'-· :.uliJ1.·c1 1\l :111 \ ole su111111cd up the prucceJings at b.00 JI.Ill., stuti11g thut the I est l'roject Munu~cr wns 1111kpe11de11t of all other part lc,pams •n a buUdi11g proj,,ct, an,I g,·11crnlly had to lt uv" sullfoie111 ,·xp,•ricnce in all t.ll "l'ls ,11 tilt• illllustry to provid e Pusit1Vl' 1..'1.Jntrul thro ughout thl· l.) flJ,ICL"l. l'hanks to Fred Kirkegurd for hi.s leadership in th,· orgunlsution of the ,.·111i11ur, anJ may the next one be us 'IU\.'1.'l") Sfu! , mduJing the gtCt!Jl anU wht1 ,· ltustesscs. Editor l'arkittg rur SO curs will he provi,kd in the l>aS<•m,·111 under the Art GaJh.·ry and Museurn und f1u111 hCJ'l'. p1.·1.ks1n:11t 1u1111cls wi.11 link under 1111.· ru1.1ds 10 pr1.w1dc aJI wcuthcr a4.:ccss tu all sections of the Centre. Mcmhers of tit,· µublic uppruaclutti• front tit,· ,·11 y, will he ahle to walk directl y from the bridge nttto the plui:1 level. From lilts level yutt will be ahle to traverse· to all parts ul tit,· Culturnl Cettlre free fruttt vehicular trnffic and 111L•VC from one scl.:ttu11 to anotlit!r vhl the 1..·ovcrl.'d walkways :111d 1..·nju} 1 lhl' dra111n nf th'-' watl!r 1111111 und 'iurcnity and beauty uf tl" gank11s ,111d the river fountain, tn.'l'S und st:ulplurl' gardens as yuu pass bet wccn tl1u vurluus areas. questions in themselves. There is a need to keep tuned to change, to explore and meet real needs o f the community. (What was your 1eaction to the church i11 Architecture Australia'!) Even in the technical sense there is u need to keep your own ;., roccsscs up to date or ahead using the ,>tils of standnrdisation, ,.,,,. qrnteri,.ation, imtustriulization am! , ) 0 11 cto it well your own project nta nagemcnt or construction 111:inagcml'IJl. ,, Remember Cristiano Toral do de Francia when he said in Brisbane in J 'J74 that un :irchitccl friend of his was designing space suits, a highly developed lorm of arcltitccq.1re'I . .-; ,, Gr:u1u111 W. Bligh.