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

Centre to expand the state's artistic horizons. Glass • gives gallery space By the Honorable I.J. Gibbs, M.L.A. Mir 1ster for Culture, 1 Iii· t1onal Pilrks 11ncl Recreation. TII E <}ueensland Government has set an ambitious Umetable for the years ahead to further expand the states cultural hori– wns. A cornerstone or the expansion programm1• Is construction of the $60 million Queensl11nd cul– tural centre on the south bank of the Bris– bane River. The centre wtll house the Queensland arl gal– lery, a twln-lheatni J>er– fprmlng arts complex, the Queensland and the St.ate Mnny unlqm• 1111d dls– UncUvu design features wilt rnnk Uw new Qummsland nrt gallery as one of the most mod– ern and exciting In Uw world. Due for comple– tion In April, 1981, IL will embrnco 4,700 squnrn metres of gallery space. Display nreas will bo grouped nlong a specta1:– ular wnter m11lt which will serve 11s an orlentn– Uon aren for the gallery viewer. Fountains 11nd wawr sculptures to• gether with tropical out– door gardens will creau, a cool, relaxed setting for the gallery. A walkw11y, suspended above the wnter 11111II and g11rdens, will ltnk the gallery Lo other parts of the cultural cen– tre. Oallery director, Mr Raoul Melllsh, recently returned from an exten– sive overseas tour where he be11an no11ot1atlons for two lntern11tlonal ex– hibitions to be brou11ht lo Brisbane for the 0111mln11 of the new 11at– lery. The exhibitions In prospect for the opening Include a retrospect of the development of cul– ture mounted by thu Metropolitan Museum In New York and a col– lection of Renaissance bron:r.es from the Victo– ria and Albert Museum In London, to11ether with renaissance drawings from the ashmolean li– brary at Oxford. The performing arts complex. due for comple– tion In February, 1982, will be fully operational In time for the Common– wealth Oames lo be held Jn Brisbane that year. The maln component.: will be a I C theatr Mr Gibbs and concert l111II ench c11- 1•'\ble of seaUni: up to 2,000 IM!Ople. Blick st1111e fuclllUes are being desig– ned to complement theatres In other capi– tals to facllltnto the i,asy Interchange of produc– tions between veuues. The Queensland gov– ernment recently an– nounced the nppolnt– meut of Mr Anthmiy Oould as director of Lim new complex. He will be responsible for conduc– ting negoLlaLlons with Australian and overseas performing les nnd nrtlsts who will 111>– poar In the lll'W faclll– Lles. The new Qucensllmd museum will be com11le– Lcd In 1983 and the uew stntc library the follow- 11111 year. Both venues will provide greatly In– creased display sp11cr for present collccllons 1111d new acqulslllons. As well ns funding the rww culturnl centre the stnte govcrnmonL will be continuing Its 110llcy of nurturing the growth of the arts and cultural ac– tivities In every corner of the state. In the last financial year $2.6 mllllon was al– locnted In l!rllnts to help similar cultural organi– sations, with activities 11cross the whole SJll!C• trurn of the arts. This funding Is In addl– Llon to the substanllal state government grants lo finance Lim slate pro– fessional companies In the performing, visual and community arts such as the Queen. land Theatre Company, and the Queensland Ballet Company. Queensland's $19.6 mli– Uon art gallery complex Which is the first stage of Brisbane's mammoth cultural centre, will be clothed In more than 5 tonnes of 11lass. Although the gallery ls not expected to be comp. leted until January 1981 Pllklngton-ACl is abouL to begin Installing Its 5 tonnes of armournoat glass. The gallery on the banks or the Brisbane River will make maxi– mum use of the glass lo hlghllghl lls vantage point overlooking the centre of the city. Bronze glazing was speclflcally nominated by the architects, Robin Olbson and Partners for all external areas to complement the off– while concrete finished walls. Internally, clear glass will be used lo Improve natural light while cre– ating an atmosphere of spaciousness with rnaxJ– _mum aesthetic appeal. Glass will be used In areas leading onto gar– den terraces, In the sep. aratlon or galleries from the ext.emal court and In the conservation sec– tions. AU balustrades around the gallery will be glazed In 12 and 15 mm clear float glass to provide unobaeured views. · The front and aide Walla or the restaurant with views across Br1s~ bane River, wUI be glazed entirely Jn sus– pended 12 mm brom1e annourfloat panels. Pllklngton-ACl's con– tracts manager, Mr BUI ,Young. said the bronze and clear armourfloat glass will make the com– p)ex one of the moat In– teresting In A ustralla. Ahead ·on culture 1,1 ? The $19 million first stage of ·mrisbanc's cultural complex on the 1 south bank of the river is well ·ahead of schedule. By curly next year. 1he three cenlrcs in ·stage one - the art ga llery. riverside rcstauranl .1 nd auditorium - • wi ll have lakcn shape. , "By then, they will need only deiuiled fill ing out in readiness fnr \!omrrn ni1y enjoyment well before 1hc 19N 2 Cumnwn– wealth Games," •said a spokesma n for ,' contraclor Graham Eva ns and o. (Qld .) f'I ) . , Lid. , "Tl11s will bci.:omc Au~trali:i 's li nc~t cullural centre." More than S5 million already had been By Property Writer Don Gordon-Brown spent in the first 12 months of lhe contract. Jobs completcd ·so far include a two level underground 500-space car park. half of the internal and external work or 1hc galleries water mall; :ind individual galleries. Walls in the restaurant :ind mu:l i1ori11111 structure were nearing their full height and the concrete roof should be poured by late next month. Under the Melbourne Street link. the contractors have extended the pedestrian tunnel and work was well advanced on two abulme~ts for a pedestrian aod services overpass. A pedestrian tunnel beneath Stanley Street already provided easy access from Victoria Bridge to 1he performing arts centre. An extensive block-length pla'1.:i area between 1he gallery and restaurant would be complete by November.