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

lrish.ne, Old. Cultural centre The fint •tot• of Quffnaland Cultural Centre II better than the architect or~art gallerJ director could have Imagined. Robin Gibson and Raoul Melllah played together as boys but never thou11ht that later In II.le they would play such a vital part In the creation of Queensland's most ambi– tious cultural monument. After writing the first plannln11 brief In 11173, Raoul Melllah, director of Queenaland Art Gallery, conalden It a privilege to have seen the '28mllllon first stage materialise. "It's turned out better than both of us thought," Mr Melllah said proudly, lookln1 up at the stark outline of the sandblasted concrete facade. "It wlU be a stunning surprlae for the people of Queenaland." ThOI!! words sum It up. Terraced There la so much more to the neutral-<:olored, low-set terraced building on the river facing the city, than the concrete mBSs which most see. ..A tour of the art gallery and auditorium complex leaves you overwhelmed, The main entrance over– looks the river and faces the city. n Is reached by a maze of staircases, ramps for the wheelchair-bound or from the city via the Victoria Bridge, What you see on enter– Ing Is a foretaste of what Is to come. You step on to a floor or beautiful travertine marble which blends with the textured sand-blasted concrete walls. Ahead Is the first of a series or galleries on dif– ferent levels where the first exhibition or five tapestries will be hung. To the right an escalator leads down to the water mall where a multl-<:olnred relief or fabric kites will fly. From the entrance you also look down Into the huge temporary exhibi– tions gallery, On the same level Is an experimental gallery and a sculpture pllery. There- are many other pllertes, Including a chil– dren's, and a series of four galleries divided by move– able panels. There are lounge areas where people can sit and rest. Smoking Is permitted only In one area. There are theatrettes and a cafeteria. Hidden from view Is a network of libraries, work– shops, loading docks and storage fncllltes for the centre's works. The auditorium, which Is separate from the main gallery, Is the domain of Russell Kerrlson, director of Queensland Cultural Trust. It opens this week and will be used for recep– tions, banquets and seminars. Attached to the audito– rium Is the Fountain Room, a spilt-level restau– rant overlooking the river. It opens on October I. Walkways Covered walkways sur– round the complex. They overlook gardrns and galleries and give magnifi– cent views or the city and fu ture access to the per– forming arts complex. Everything Is llnked to the galleries. There are spy holes and la rge fea– ture windows which allow those outside to see what's going on Inside. A magnificent mnll run µarall cl river t.hrou ~h the length of the building, Inside and OUL. Deneath the art gallery Is a two-level 500 s pace car pnrk. Parts of the fir ·t stage will op n nrxt week a11d progrPsslvcly u nLiJ IH? entire butldlnt!' opens to the public In M.nrch, . -~~ ..~·· .:-.~ "CHRONICLE" . Toowoomba, Qld. 1 4 SEP 1981 Queensland buys $180,000 work The Queensland Art Gallery recently paid S 180,000 ror a large oil painting (180cm x 382cm) by one or France's greatest post-impressionist painters. The director of the Queensland Art Gallery was on the doorstep of Melbourne's Tolarno Galleries the lirst morning 43 paintings, pastels and drawings by Edouard Vuillard were available for private viewing. · The director was competing with other state gallery buyers. "Le Salon des Hessel". painted about 1906, is the major work in the exhibition which took Melbourne art dealer, Georges Mora, three years to arrange with the Vuillard Estate in Paris. Mr Tony Elliot, Minister for the Arts, described the purchase or this painting as another coup ror the. Queensland Art Gallery which already houses works by Picasso, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Pissarro and Vlaminck. The gallery is due to open in the new river• side Cullural Centre in March 1982. - PAMELA KING fr':r • PICTURED Is "Madame Hessel asslse" , 1912, a pencil, pen and ink drawing : one of the works displayed in Melbourne's Tolorno Galleries. Madame Hessel wo~ an orl connoisseur and great friend of Edouard Vulllard . ~