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

$1 00m centre ready by 1983 By PETER SEKULESS '"AS I Si\lll '" 1hc ()11w11 . ·Y.,nr ~la1c, I\ \\ill h;I\,,.' 111 1111. l·d 1hc ,i1111l:in1, hl·1,·vc'-•i1 lhl' ()111.·1.•11:,,,land ( "ultur:11 Cc111i·c ,itc .111d 1ha1 ..r lh,· rc,111·al 11,dl l Nali<>nal Th,.:a1r1.• 1..'lllllplc, in l.,111d1.111. Both :ll'L' 1111 thl' " 111th hank 111' 1111..· fl\'l'L nppP,ill' lhl· dt, and. lh1111 l·h1th ,ill' . l•lll' 1.:;111 l,1, 1~ dn.wn 1h1..• ri, L'r tu th,.: I l,1u,1..·, 1.11' l'arlin1111.·111·.·· ()lll'l.'ll,l;111l1", ctar ,.r l'lllllll"I.'. Sir 11111 id ~luir. '""' pr.,11111, rc,·allin~ illl· da,· uf th1.• <)11cc11·, .l11hih.·1.· , ,,it h1 Brl;,,hanl' in rvlan.:h wl11.·11. a;,, d1uirm:111 ,,r the Quc,·11,la11d < ·111111ral t'c111r,· Tr11,1. hl· 1..•;,,rorti.:d hl.·r ,111 n hrnr ,,r thl· ,i11.·. Th,· ()11cc11 pla111cd a rilu:il lrcc '" mark the lir,t ;,,t:1t!c nf c,l11;,,tn11.:1ion ha,kallv ;,,itc 1.:lcari71g and land;,,l':tping und prJ;,,;,,cd a huth111 h1 ,tart u th,ating fuuntu111 in thl· riv1..•r. Th1..• lir,1 :i.tagc ,, a:i. ru :i.hl 'd tu 1..·nmpk-ti,•11 1'1tr thl' \ 1:i.it ,,, that rnval ra1r,,11agl' wnuld cnsur,· 1ha1 lhc Qlll'l.'11'1and <10,·crnmcnt wuuld 1101 wckh 011 lhc pn>jccl. The l'OSI will pr11hahlv , 11111 milli"11 I" lhc cnu 11r l'IXJ when 1h1..· p111_kl't i, ~hll' 111 he li11i~h1..·ll. h .ff thl·ir 11111111..'\. "'llll' 111' whkh i~ l'llllling rr11111 Stall: lot11..·r~ pmn'l.'d,. Qt11.'l.'llS· la1h.kr~ \\ill ha,1..• an an ualh..·n . mu:-.cum. lihra,, . l.'11111.'.l'rl hall. ..,.:riahl~·-auJil'lll.'1..'- 1..·ap:1d 1: .. lhl·.11r1..•. l'l'' la11ra111 and ,11~1cr rd·rl·,h111l'lll fal.·ili1i1..·~ and a 1..·un, 1..·ntiun ,1 r1..·a. 'I h1..· (.Jlll.'e1i-.land Gu, l.'fllllll.'111 ap• pn 1\ l..'d cxpc11di11m..· uf 545 milli,111 in < k1t1hcr. 11/7-l. al rril'c, 1hcn currcnl. with thl' stipulati,111 that 1h1..· l.', 1 ,1 was 1wt 1t1 1..•,1..·al;.111..· apart fn1m i111lath•m1r: irn.:rc:i:-.c~. Cumpari"Ht~ with ~11hcr l'Clltr..:, ar1..• illl'\ itahk. misll·:11.li11~ and . 1t1 ,umc .._ ,le nt. lll'l.'l'S:-.ar\' hi ... n1111rr1..•hcnd thl.' ,l.'opc uf tli~ Ql1ccn~land pr11j1..·1..·1. The cc111r,· will shape f)ucenl and', cuhural lkvel1•p111t:11t tt,r del.'ade~ and 1.'h:tnge Bri!th:111l.•., tlUtward f:tl.'l'. 111· mc:111, 111' dcva1cd and undcr– ~r1111i1d walkwav,. the ,·cntrc will strauuil· the apprual'11 1,; \lic111riu llridgl' \\'hieh b Bulletin 15th Oct, 1977 tt.11..· 11~:1111 ,11u1h.l'l'II al.'~l·~, l't 1 Ull" _tn 1.1~· imngincll. uf l..:11~ . 1111..· 11t:1111 h11..·u~ uJ lhl' l'll~ will :i.h1l1 to gunrnnll'l' lr\1111 1h1..· 11u111dan1..· d11\\ nti•wn ar1..·a h 1 intl·rfl'r1..·Jwl' ,-\n111hrr alh Bri~han1..•, greu~l..',t ~1:1111rul as~l'I: it~ Evnns. 11111111 .:ur "Pl'r:I ~111gcr and brt,ad. mc.indenng n,·cr. h~ ard11tel'I. l•xcnlli\'l' dirn:1 01 tit the l-icn iur ttt.tlilion R~•hin li,il'Mlll. ~c.'-'3 thl· l.'e111n: in term:,. par1ncr. ihc National Pariy. l::.vans. who l,r rl.'tun1111g 1hc fl\'l.'rhan~ h1 thl.' pl.'l 1ple lnnks l1hll't' like a real c,r;tate !roiall.!snHlll 111 ~:lri,hanl': . . . than an 11pera1h·l· fnr a rurnl•baSl't..l fhc pr",I''"' was ,·11m·c11 cd 111 ,111 ,odd political I art~ . l'ngi11ccr,·J the d1ange 1111 x111r1..·. ~•I hun:~lll1...'fal11..· l.'11l1gh1e11111l.'11I of name and imagl' from Quecn!'lund :111d ,r.,1,11,·al reuli,m , . Country 1'a11_1 '" Na11onal Part) : . 111 1\ard 1hc end i•I lhc 1%0s lhc suppurl fur cul111ral ac1ivi1ics suits 1h,· 111:u..lcl1.11al.'y ol th\.' 1..·.x1~1111g Qul'e11:,,l_a. a.I new image. ,\rt <,allcrv hc,·amc appar_cnl. . I_he With the help of Gih,11n, the c1111l'ept g11wr_nmcn1 :1111:r,1\'cd a '!""' S7-m1ll11111_wus skilfully padu~ed hv oflicials lh>m huilumg "" " '"'.' "h,ch '.' '""'' part ,,1 the Stntc ·1'reu,11ry. W11rks Dcpurtment 1hr . C'111i11ral . l "'.'_trc ,11c. A local and Publir Scr\'icr lh•ard. In 1hcir ard111ecL R11h1n <.i1h.,1111 and Partners. submission 10 ihc g,,vernment. 1h,· wa, app,11111,·d . . . stressed the savings 11r up to 25 pcrrcnt 111 1970. rnmpl,11111, ."'en· ,·o,ceu on overheads whh:h wut1ld al'cruc hy ahuut lhc :ll'l'llllllll11d.1t1~,11 n~ the erecting one l.'Cntrl.' instead of fl1ur Q'.•.c~11~l:111<I M11~~11111 '.'.".'! S1.a1c !-l~>rar~ . separate building~. . · I ,,"_1hi111, , 111<11_,, _""' l,11111d1,d 10 Sir David Muu playcu a maJnr part ,·11n>1dcr 11<'\l' hulld,ng,. ~lca11wl11lc. the in selling the l'Olll'Cpt tu the !!ll\'Cflllllenl. new a.rt ~alkr: wa, prugre_~1'1_ng ~!owl~ . He is a former Qucensl:md Agcnt- W11h lhc au\'a111ag~ ol h111d,1gh1. lhc Gencrnl in London and is ,11nv drnirnrnn 11cx1 ,1ep or lm11g111g 1hc gallcr) . of the Puhlic Scrvie, lloard as well as museum and l1bra1) 1uge1her anu chnirman of the Qucenslanu Theatre inl'orpuratin~ a .rerfl1r111ing ttrls l'en_tre Company. Thl'· centre will be ,cem, s1r:'.1ghll11rwar_J . hut hclpmg udmiui sr,·red h) the Qucenslund hands and lavurahle c1rl·11m,1a11te, were Cultural Cenlre Tru,1. alrl·ady in necucu. cxistenc,·. It rn-uruinatcs anu is auviseu First. lhcrc wa, 1hc Q11censla11J by lour uscr-rnmmillees rcprcsellling Scrvil'c Board which is the museum . library. art gallcr) and re,punsihlc 1111 accomm11d,11111g gov~~11- performing-art, centre. Sir Oavid's mcnt Jcpar1111e111s .'""I lihln1111cn1alillcs involwment Wllh rnltural activities in wa, ''.'ell as hcmg 1h,·_1r pcr">nncl Queensland is so cxlensivc that the lirst a_111h1>nl\', lis _Jcp111, d1a1rma~ a~ 1hc question asked li•llowing 1he cstahlish- 11111c was Da\'id Mercer. 1111\V m S11u1h mcnt or a 11e11· art, hody is. "Whu is on i\11siral1'.1. ),·ho was sympa1hct1c lo thl' the conllnillec. apart from Sir Daviu'!". ncc'.I' "I lhl' arts. . . Cunsidcriug the mag11i111dc of the ScC1111dl~. 1hc prnp11scu ,lie lor the project. its path has been remarkably 11111,~'.•m in Albert P:1rk wa, smolllh. Th,· uni_, public contn•wrsy has ,e":rl·_I, cn11cised as b~mg ,uns1111'.1blc. . surroundcu th,· pcrli,rming-arts ccnlre. 1lmdl,. Her MaJc,1y s. Bnsban~ • Original! \'. it wa, tu comprise a 2000-seut uni)'. IOOU-sca1-pl11s thca_trc s1111ablc lur concert liall. 181lU-scat 1heatre lilr opera pcrturmances by the 11a11unal bullet and_unu bulll·I aud a 400-sc:ll Jrama theatre. opera c11111pa111cs. rnmc unuer threat of , Following illl' repnr1 ur 1hcatre rcd~vcl11pmenl. . . . . . consultaul T, 1111 llrnwn. preparc,1 in _i·nurt_''.I~·- 1hc_.l'''.ss1_bil11~ .111 .r~sior:_ng conjunction ll'ilh the ard1itcl·1 and the R,gc~ll c111c1!1,1. rcplcic . ~llh acoustic rnns\illant. 1bc plans were ~ll'IIJ~l:ln gilt anu 1111rrurs. to IIS original rauirnlly altered. The concerl hall lun1...·t~un as a theatre was remutl' , rcmuincc.1. hul ,the iwn thculfl'!i: wl.!rc Dc,pllc a11cmp1_, to rnnservc lhc Regen! replaceu by 1111c " variable-audicncc– as a theatre. 11 1~ to he turned into twrn capadty" th~atrc cinemas. This 1h,·atre , will d,,uhtlcss allract The 011ll'Ollll' nr these diffcrcnl inll'rnatinn:il aS wdl as t\U!roitralia•widc factors was a rrnmisl' in the Liberal Party interest. At maxim um. it 1..'all ucl·om– policv speech bcli1r,· 1hc 1974 Stale modatc ahout 22l)U iu 1hc stalls and 1wo electinn 11r a l'llltural cc111rc. The pleuge urcss rirdcs. Bv 'lowering the ceiling. the wa, Jdi\'crcu hy uepu1y Premier anu top dress drde ·will disappear. and the Treasurer. (i11rd,111 Chalk. thcalre will seal 1400. Ill' using sliding Premier .lnh Bjdkc-Pe1ersc11·s imprinl wnlls ill lhc stall,. the ciipadly can be has been stranucly ahsenl. Chalk mauc further reduced 1., IOlH) Sl'ats. th1...· lirsl an~o~1111:c111c11t. anJ his The it.lea is 1hat :11 its maximum suc,·c,s11r as Lihcral parliamcn1arv capacity the theidr,• will l'ater for _1he leader. Bill Knox. was chief puli1irnl national opera and ballet cump:imes: h1>st wh,·n lhc Queen loured 1he site lhis while the audience, which usuallv allend ,car. The Premier was in lhc n1Jrth or Queeusland Opl'fa and Lighi' Opera ihc St.111.· in~pcl..'ling 11,,ot..l damagl.'. Company pl.'rf 11 nnancr, can hi.' _arrurn- 1lcn,·c 1hc imp11rtancc. real modaicd aclequatcl,1 al mcd,11111 or minimum capaci1y. Although the theatrl! sub111i1ted his report in Scp1c111 it has 11111 been made public. ,if' 1hc groups consulted will r the "variable-uudicnce-tapacit l'M lhe lirst time here. Lack or rnnsultatiun h pcn.;i,r;tcnt critidsm . Musica \ 1 Q11ce11sla11J Fcsiival or complaineu abo111 nut hcing ,, th,· early planning. anu snwll voice frustration. Perhaps tlll' greatest nag.!.! is whether u h11ge rnmplex way lu prumotc the Stu1, , Jcwlopme111. Sir David Muir dcnic, co11sultati1111 , p11i111ing tu the 1 • or groups askeu to particip., theatre consuhanls' work. 1-1,· representation on thl' Pcrfn11 C11111111i1tcc hy Que,·nsland\ , 1...·umpanil.!s. Conscrvutoriu111 and Theatre Company. Musica the Festival ,,r 1hc Art, :tppmad1cd earlier hecause \ c11trcpre11curial. ra1her th1111 1· groups. He has 1111 fear> 1ha1 the cc11 an awe•insp,iring cdifke \' frighten peuplc away. The, purking tiJr more 1han 1000 ,·., r cenlre will he in use from ,·:, nwrning to late at nig.hl. Uihsun also sees thl.' l.'c n ali ve part of Brisbane. Ul'li< . and visitors to the city cun rc11 in live minutes. It i:~ easy 11 l1111ch-ho11r strollers walki11g 11, 1!pe11-pla11 l'cntre nr ,i1ti11, l:11u..b:caped urea hcl\vcc11 lhc \ a11d 1he river. The centre desi 'II rca u