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

MODEL (above) showing the main features of the $45 million Queensland cultural centre to be built at South Brisbane. * ARTIST'S drawing (below) ot the pedestrian mall and link between the proposed museum and art gallery, The museum Includes the Avian Cirrus biplane hanging In the pres– ent museum. This was the aircraft In which Bert Hlnkler flew from London to Darwin In a record 156- days In 1928. .Arts centre no Opera· House, says Sir Gordon By a Stoff Reporter STATE Treasurer (Sir Gordon Chalk) promised yesterday Brisbane's pro1,011d $45 million cultural complex would not turn into 'another Opera Hou11," But quantity surveyors estimated later that the -complex could cost up to $90 'million by the time it is expected to be completed, late in 1983. Sir Gordon yesterday u n v e II e d models and plan& for the new com– plex, to be bullt at the southern approaches to the Victoria Bridge. Construction or the complex wlll be carried out In rour stacea, with the rtrat-stage art gallery expected to be completed by early 1979, Bir Gordon said the $45 mllllon estimate wu based on October 1974 coats. Although there would be some escalation In i~ts n:i:~u.~i~tt~~r~~i or the project would be maintained u close u possible to $45 mUllon. Deslped ''It certainly won't be another Opera House. "What happened there was that no one knew the total deslan. or how the roor would' be put on. "This complex hu been fully designed," he said. But current building co.it lncrepses and proj– ected tutu. e costs seem certain to push the price nf the complex well be– yond the $45 million fig– ure. E.stlma.tea fror.n a Stnte firm or quantity surve- ~;f•. ~~~~d[~:tla~~~~! material cost Increases, are expected to rl.se by an 1\\'erage 15 per cent each year until June 1979, And by about to per cent each yeu from then on. Taking Into account the stage-by-stage con– struction or the complex, Its estimated cost bv late 1983 ts between $80 mil– lion and $90 million. Sir Gordon said the new cu 1 tu rat centre would be a great acquisi– tion for Brisbane and Qy~e~i:~~~ot be MG• p~ by anything else l!L.i 1~/,\1 the southern States. ' Construrtlon or the complex will Involve: ce~trf e:t'o 0 rn~~~~ street, containing a 2000-seat concert hall, a 1800-seat opera and bal– let theatre and 400-seat studio theatre. • The Queensland Art Gallery, west or Mel- t~b'aen~tWt;e~~c~~hth: total floor area or 13,000 square metres (140,000 sq, ft.), • The Queensland Museum, separated from the art gallery bv n ri/lr~~~~~ a~:i\r"'lt 1 13~ square metres (150,000 SQ. rt,), e The Slnle Librni·y, to be bum on the .sit e or ll1e r rcsent Sl. Helen 's Hospanl ond Sol\•otion Army properly. An nud1tor1um. ti\ f!'i– sldr restaurant nnd con- ' ,·enUon complex also tvlll be included In the com. "'iti· Gordon snid 'nil sccllon.'i or the c,,Jtu ; centre, except fC'l G~f[ 1 ~to~~e~roo~·~~~~I. '\ \