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

culture O·mplex · could ·- . ' op $100 million UEENSLAND'S "Opera House" on the· South ank - we're going to have to face it - in 1;11 respect cannot help becoming another Syd– ey (l)pera House. It·won't be flnllbed until ld-1883. And It COUid well coat am to t200 million than 1 ,Jll'OIICINd MS million; It II 1otn1 to take many, any 801ith Bank Golden uuta to yield enough nbilcka f(!I' the cultural nlre. 8 J' d n e y ' a harbouratde O\Vl!ltce In 1857 WU estl· ateil to coet ,u mUllon. e bill by the time It WU pened Jn 1873 was $100 u11on: Th• Treaaurer (Sir aor.– ·n Chalk) admits the rll,bane project could cos) 100 million. But when you metres ~otally, on two tloors. 2. The pertormln1 arts centre <aomethln1 must be done quickly to alve Bria– bane a major concert hall!. 3. The Museum, of 13,889 square metrea. l'hl~ compares \\1th 5100 5QUIU'I metres which the Museam has now at Greaory Ter– race. f. The 11,lll•MtUar, metre library because !ta requirement la not conald• ered as pl'ellalna u the Mu- 1eum s. · The whole 1how Is ached• uled LO be finished In mid· 1983. The first building ahould be completed by the end or 1978. About tllla time ther,e will be tour buildlnga under construction, In their var• l By ALAN UNDERWOOD J Sir David Muir l'Jl chair– man. So he has two hat.'1. co~i~cPi:.vll:isrs';_~bt~~~eq ~,!: no specific plan.s yet, Ar• chltect Robin Gibson next week will be asked to pr&ent the maa:er com– mittee - the Muir Com– mittee if you like - a final "'conceptual pla.n•·. ThLs will be the plan put to the Government, JI •,he 0 o v e r n m e n t likes this r~:flru~dafuch~~~ru:elll d~~ tails and brlnr out I.ender documents, Robin Gibson :utd Part– ners ls not the architect - yet. The !Inn wa.s commls– •loned by the Art Gallery president (Mr. D. J . Mlln• :ro) aaY• : "Since nothing ~:t ~i~y~ei:;~ ~~~te fgJ; that It will still proceed, What must give concern Is an apparent lack or con– •ullation with prospective users.·• Mr. Munro Is stirpr that Music" Viva, on ~~:~~:1ai7~;:., Is ~'::fn"flt::/~ out of the plannlna. Mr. Munro makes the point that there la much technique Jn planning con– cert hall11. Festival llall, he •aya, was meant to be a co m b l n e d stadium and bJm and Sir David about It, they.protest et h In k a loudly, ''This mplex wtll not have one hlnr beyond what Cabinet Pf. r o v e d In November, 117 . 11 The facts are - yl'Mi:':f::iest or the tour bulldtn,• will, of courae, be ~rewGfcg~~~'ta~.•~ta centre. And there are complaints over to •be~~r~nn~;.15in'i~,~l~1 next year. th: ~~ :,~~':!e~i!r~~ft be: l, Art Gallery (because there aie art treasures In the old pllery, and a atop pp temporary 1allery, that urrently need proper hous- lnfl· ta area will be 12,863 ;w:-!2«::~e:re ~:iir:.r:~ ~ gi:ue~~~l A'ft"b':i: liry temporarily Is housed In the MIM building, where It hu 194-l square • · A maJor concert hall, aea ting 2000. Whether It will ha.ve two deou of seata 15 not known. • An opera-and-ballet theatre with 1800 seats. • A studio theatre, •ult– able tor drama, and 1eatln1 300. Sir David emphasises: "The aim Is not to. cloae down every other theatre !~meBre·~1rn. ::~:re f~! cllltle,;, and we want to see t h em continuing. The , ~?nr.. 0 anl 11 :::r~~~ 1 e ~G llt i'fie university. There w I t h Melbourne Street t r1.f!lc c uttlnr clear throuah th3 centre or t-11e whole complex, This will be taken care of a•lth under• pa ss e • and overbrldg&. The bulldlnp will be high to clear flood•. n;;.~~ r 11 wh! g:r~11,i; ~~f ro:S~1'afn: '':~o~ aettlng toot on the rround. Car• will be parked on ~~~;:br:r/;_Rr~:f'i~~-~lj a ·a.lk ,trom there to the per– formIna arts centre. PUNNING & ESTABLISHMENT COMMlnEE. ' (Chairman Sir David.Muir) • I I WORKS DEPT. I ! I PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE ART GALLERY TRUST . LIBRARY TRUST MUSEUM TRUST TRUST Chairman Chairman Chairman Chairman ·Sir Davil Muir ,,, Mr. G. K. D. Murphy Mr. J. C. H. Gill Sir lHn Treut ,DIAGRAM shows organisotion of the cultural centre. The Planning and Establishment Committee is expected to be enacted into a trust with over-oil control. diversion. What Is certain ls tha.t the art gallery will straddle Stanle.v Street. 15 '!a?~~eg ~fi':i~Ylontl!ri'~~ build a cultural centre, but, Sir David Muir and hla planners think It la reason• able. Tile operating setup la 1otn1 to look like the I C• companying dlaaram. Legu;laLion soon Is likely to convert the Plannln1 and Establishment Com– mittee Into a trust. Thts w o u I d exercise over-all control or the complex. Ea.eh of the four bocllea has Us own "u,;or com– mittee". It feedll •Idea.., and detailed requirement• to , ¥'1:\./f~th'!' 0 ~~~~ub~g~;f: menl, thouirh In the Jargon they've developed afready, these Government-shadow– ed folk avoid ·'Work.$ De– pa.rtment". They preffr the big, prlva.te- sectorlsh ·con– •~ruciJng 1.uthorlty". Each of the four will ·be responsible tor the entil'e ~fc~~:~lo~o~l>d~~n~wrn P~~; centre. The art gallery, mw;eum and library trusL< came Into :.he orcanlsatlon as they were. co::i~if!: 'f:r~o::1~f ~~ l!et up by t he master ·body hea.ded by Sir David Muir. And u it happena It mtde Trust to "do" •,111 new At1t concert hall but failed In Gallery bulldlnlf, both. Sir D a v l d explains: n1~r'!ht."h8::!ic~e 1 l 1~~ ~1~:"ao ~~eh ~~non~~ open," he Gays. "Thla Is Art Gallery •bulldlna that It taxpayers' money and tax• •WU a~d the construct- ~o~llfa~~-'i\'~ty~eih~•~~~~ tng authority would be trouble aa the Sydney Op• well-a.dvlsed -to have him era House." ·atso draw up ,,he con- The state·, aultural af- ceptuai plan. fairs director oo. A. J, "Mr. Gibson la not the Creedyi la not a,mumber or project architect. It "1]1 be the Muir committee, This ~ 0 ;f~.~ ~~~ru~:':;.~~1: J!:i:~~cked many cultural (ect." The Queensland Youth Yet, It will ,be 1urprlsinJ Orchestra conductor <Mr. If Robin Olbaon does not John Curro> describes the get the job. Creedy omission as "abso• le~~~s ~~g~r iffe cultural lutely preoosterous.• Some are, other. aren•~. Sl~nii._i~~daa~ft c;g? Many claim thitt tney are mlttees know how to make not being consulted. That •things viable? An opera the -whole "secret" plan Is •thea~re will cost about coming rrom an estab~ , ,7000 a week to hire - Jlshment clique. That It r,111s 12 wr cent ol the .~\ ~lo~ tt~~m,a1i;9h~~ I t'li';.1~~fi1d ofl;r~tr1~!~~~ct :1::~i~lsetro ~torh:t· ir~~~ ' dlie~~~t~M~~ hJoa·~·rit::;~ mistakes could be built Into ley, Is confident Sir David thi~~t~~~r c~~trtomn- ~ 0 on e~eh~~~~. trfsck.th ~li m,,tc"e"trrolsmf~!..ln_g 0 todl!;_ek ad- ,t11eatr~w~e. It must be en- .....,. b = t,repreneurlal. It. must take One man In t11e arta la.,t pa~, vlsltln1 sllqws. week unktndll' accused SIT Roaers, Tht!'Sunday_ Da1tjd Muir'• committee as Mat 's art &nd music critic, ~!rsbu~~ oi,:mr~1n:u11~ ihas wcmea about the t th I ~i~l':ed~~e,~ih ~r ;::-:.r. ou e rea ex- Job : k The Muslca Viva Socl ty "Wt saw what the Wort. Mrs. Lesley tor In Brisbane n...rra•sponsort c Lhe Arts Soole1 sh.~ has not be by the Muir o Her society s1 s100,ooo a ye cultu1-e In Quc The Austral casting Comu lleve dt or not. to rriake the concert hall. pleada "loyal , s t a nding . with the B · Council." Yet the A.B. on the • South tonnjna artA