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

TENDERS are being called t9day for the first major building Queensland Cultural Centre. The Works Minister (Mr. Wharton) said yes– terda y tenders were ,l>elng ndvertlsed ro~ Uie art gallery, a restaurant, and a multi-purpose au– ditorium on the riv– erbank. The centre also will feature a performing arts complex, thr Queensland Museum, and the S tate Library. be finished by the mid 1980S. Mr. Wharton snl,1 : ''The completed complc., will be the most am– bitious building project ever and er ta k e,n In Queensland.'' These projects wlll be part of a continuing building programme to The courier April, 28th, 1978 Party chief to arts post THE National f'arty State exccllti¥e director (Mr, Mike Evans) has been gi¥cn a promin• cnt Gorcrnment cultural post. :5t:nc E·,eruurr <.'01111- ,,1: ~·t•MCl'cl(l~ U111)011Ht•d l11111 tl!-- 011r of 10 m~111 • l>er-, nr thr nrwlr•1·r ritrd Qurrnsla11d Pcrform111b ,\ru 'l'ru,:t. ) II', f~\';Ul\ u.1~ be ' 11 i•- 11\'t! ill Jif'l'l Ol'll\11\C 111'h 1or more tlu,n 10 r(·J r.-, a.i:. n Quc m•lnncl L1~l11 0 p r I' U C0ll\l)flll)' ()f'l'· I O l' ll\C r Hllrl !1~lm111 ....... 11'1\l nr. R.nd Quc n,I: no Al'\'i f t.'""' \\'nl t:011nclll r. The Cull 11re Mimster ,~11·. Nrwhcry·, Stli<l 1hr trust \\' uld nd11 In\•,,,, tht• H 't-bunc (' lit !Ii I Ce11t!].J• vrr1n1·11 11~ nrt 1·011rn1t•, when It \, oi.. l' 1111,lcted, 11 d~tl ··,111hl .1m, , lilt' Oo• 111\!'lll uu l I r· 11 ,1·111111..: : rb ]lt1hc·:. 'l lh rru~t ('1llll flllilll t.i: \ lr. l)onn ld M1mro1, t111 q 11 •••n,1u1.d 1 ·111·. t•r~, ~ t1t'l)Ul f 1·, ~b1n1r. dlHI ,1~, u1 .,· d w1r111n1 I ,\lr, Uocl U'I 0,11 I '.\\ 11'1 JOP :– :-,;Ion :,, Pt~ I ,~d. ~lilt!' 11\lllhtl: r. UtJwr 111(•11\IJ' ri, ffft' the Q 11 (' c 1 ~ J ,1 11 c T i1Cil ll'C 'um nn,· tlll't ell .- , 11-. \, 1;; t1 w 11 !~d .... l • :\ 11 -..tl'nllllll 13ruadcns ltH! Com11Wi· :,Jon 11M l~l Hll , 'tnt C nllHHHl r 1 ~Ir. J, ~ 1.tr• :~h:lll l, C nl 11rc. :-.;:11 !01101 Parks. Wilclllfc 1111(1 n,. crrat:on Drp11r mem f'U .. tJ1'(\lllhlUI' f:\11". J . --p, ;\fU• lu.•1· 1, Q11~C'11'-l111trl t.li ,:111 OJH•rn. Com1,.1n.y 101111d(.•r ,1 1,·. n. :\Jn!'l•11rl1111•• 1 • lll\.hlcit\ll <: '1.lr . R , t,; . Oo1t1!l\,,:1, uml A series or prellmtn ary contrncts. tncluctlng rj\r. crbank works. site ex– cnvntion, roadworks, and piling is nenrlng com• pletlon. Mr. Wharton said the bullcl111g contract for the art gnl\cr~i wc uld st.n rt Immediately the fl nnl site prcpnr.it !on nnct foundn- 11011 piling ll'Cre finished. lL should be completed b;· April t98I. "The design of the n rt gnllcr~' embodirs nil t he c s s c n t t a l fen tures to mnkc it world class:· he suid. 1 'lt Jncorriorntcs !i220 "quarc rnctrt?s of di~play areas. l7fl5 s,1uare metres of collection storaJ,;c anrl 4K.10 square meh·r..s or nd– n1inlstratlon, e,h1oa.tion, lllJrar)'t (•onscn·ulion and scn•icc areas." 'fll'O floors g( parking space for 500 cnrs will be located In the lower le\'• els of the site below the plnw deck. An lnternnl nnct ex– ternal design feature will be the use or wntcr os n background element or display in the gallery and sculpture cont~. The Initial art l(lll!ery phase will lnrlude the construcllon of n large plaza area O\'er the rclo– c r~ t e 1I ~tanlcy Street, llnhcd to the restaurant an,t mulll•purpose audl• lorlum. " A high level of sophls• . tlca tion will be provided in the \·urious E.. stems or air conditioning, lighting. sccurlt~• n11d fire protec– tion lo be Installed In the complex," Mr. Wharton Sntd. The relcnse or a pro.I• ert or this magnitude W(lUld prO\'ldc n much needed stimulus to lhc b u i I d in g industry, he .said. The Co uri e r Mail April 22nd, 1978