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

The cost of culture The cost of the Queens– land Cultural Centre. on the south bank of Bris– bane Rl ver. has risen to $79.5 million from the l974 estimate or $45 mllllon. Inllatlon almost certalnlr will fur1hm· Increase !he tota l cost by the time the four stages of t lie com1>lex are completed In 1984. For the money, Queenslanrl will get a unique focal point for cultural acllvltles. 'l'hcre will he an art gallery, a pc,-formtng arts complc,, a museum nnrl a llbrary, all In close pro,lmli y. About this time ne, t year the Queen laud Art anllery will n1ove from its present tempora– ry Ann Street headqua,ters. lo 11.s Imposing new permanent h ome in stngc one or the cul– tural com1>lex. O the,- features or stage one are an auditorium seating 500 people 11ml a restnurant with a rl\'er ,·lew for 250 people. 'l'hese two derelopments nrc separate from the art gallery building, but arc ll'nked by walkways. M e 111 her s of the Parlla– n1enLa'l'y buIldlt1{f commi t.tee were- led l>y the Works Min– ister. Mr Wharton. and archt– tect Mr Robin Olbson on an In– spection of stt,ge one yesterday. The all-embracing Queens– la nd Art Gallery lllle will refer to lo galleries to he housed in tile centre. with 4700 squa,e metres of floor space. One or the 15 ~allerics will en tcr spcclflc•llr for l,ra\'elllng e~hibitions. T he gnllcrlcs will be grouped along a ~·nter mall, nmnlng the lenglh of 1,he building. A 12 , 30tll Sk)'li~hl. specially designed LO cllmlnnte the ef– fcc of direct sunlight on Ihe art. tren.sure:,:i, wlll be erected a bore the mull. Wlthl11 the gallery lrnlldlng 1here will be n reference 11- :::~\\~~i n~:~O\~cll:;~tt~\~./r~I~; :~~ 1 -~ I restornuon area anti LWO ba.sc - 1nrnt. ttr p1uks capul>Ic or 11c– com111orlalt11g :iOO rehll'ics. 'l'hc perrorming nl'ts comple~ ~r r . s ~lolbourne .·1rect should b completed by ID82. The mu– seum nn,1 Sl tte llbrarr hu1ld-– lngs sho11trl be occ11piccl 111 1084, WORK in progress on the water mall area of the new Queensland Art Gallery now, but in 12 months the area should be something similar to the artist's impression below. The moll will run the length of the new gallery building, with on education area to the left and galleries to the right. ',