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

ne of boat , the k by sslng l In nown ,rgan bi to the THERE are certnln bulld– ln,:s In the world that have a majesty about them. They fill you with awe, and their sheer vastness and splendid proportions are hard to cap– ture in words. Some cathedrals have II. So do some mugoums anrt art ~,. llerle~. and some of the Lcmple.~ or 1rnu:cnL Grccrc rind Romr: r rcn tlln11f!h t hr.y are in ruins t.hctr splendur ls ot'll apparent. Regretfully, ,ptondnr and awe– some prt!pArA Lions luwc disappeared a., buil ding cnsts ltave r!scn. ln•teAd or i::reot. high ccll'n•.'· morvellous galleries and superb speces t.h11t hecome canvflscs for mnsterpleceo or 111lht and shade, we ~et tiny boxc.s and cuhl<lc• tlrnt nre more monuments to economy lhan artt,t.r)'. That•~ why the Queen•l•nd Cnt– tural Centre take• your hrrath awa,·. Or • t leut st.a,e nnc nr the centre, t he art gallery that Is near– lni, cnmplet.lon. Arter driving pnst tt rc1Z11lart.•·, harrtly !akin• am• not.Ice ns the nl– moat prtme\'ol group nr white cn!Jrs ond oblon1?s br.irtn to rlsr. from the !ll'nuncf. It come., "' n , hock to dls– cnver there Is I\ building Inside - 11nrt what n bulldln~. Tho Queensland C11tt11rnl Cr ntrc has been i:ntng to happen for so lnnl? ll'• • surprise to find II Is writ nhead or schedule And will be two– th' rd.s comnlPtecf b)• October 1~R2. That "'Ill he Cnmmnn"••alth Gamr!" time. whrn thr Gallery wlll hu• hern llni•hrd, the ptrlnrmln~ art• romplf'x will he rrndy In nprn P.nd pfttron• will h• enJoyln( me•Is In the rr•ta11rant ovcrlnnkln~ the rh•rr. 1'hr. b :;;t, way or seeing sta~r. onr. a. the art gallery And rcstnurnnt Rl'CA 1., belnl? called, Is with !,he chalrmPn of !,he Quecn,tnnd Cul– t.11ral Trust.. Sir DRvld Muir, and the Rrchltect, Robin Gibson. Th•t's when the building 011ens , for ~·ou. \Vh~n ynu CA 11 rn\'l~!rin -,·/:J)ler.1,lnns nn dlsplRY In the snarm~ .. Rllcrlr~ And you ~·ond~r whcrr on earth all the nrt Ls ~nin~ In cnme from because the llRllcrles are so numernus And ~o \'est.. Thrrc are rn mnln ~•llerlrs, llnkNl by walkwnys, galleries nnd escalat.ors. btt t. thcer cnn gl\'e birth ,~ 60 or more bl' the J11dlciou., use of r11tsr "'""·' · lt'!'li hRrrl to rf"mf'.'mhf'r Juir;;( whrrc r,·er~•thlnK I~. n'( 1hr Impact martr hy this flrsl look Rt thr ~•llrry \\'RS so I rrmrnrlon~. Rir Dnnrl nn d Robin Gibson nrnde lL nil rnmc to li fe. You c·nulrt i,;uddcnly i-rc nn rnnn 1011s t aprst ry l-1 r<'tChC'rl nrrn!-l-i thr wnll nf n J;:nl\rrr lhn Wi'IR ~till full nr hrnns nr 1lmhrr. hlt.i;; nf ~cnr. !nldlng and nn arm)•of men In lrnrct h"t.• havlnll t hrlr lltnrh . It was h•rd in tell 11·hlch mnn was he prouder !other. Rnhln pnlntrrl nut th,• pl•i·~ of 11!:ht and shlldc •• It ho \\'rr• an arll•t. Sir DRvld polnlrd out hi, fal'orltc allery, or part or the bulldlng. Our cultural centre brings back that old- time splendor From n drnwlng on paper, a lo,"– sized model oi, a table, here was the dream becoming n reality. There wns a grcnt s pnce where the permanent, collection would be housed and which could be lookert down t1po11 thrOll!,!'h walls of p.lni-;s b)' people ns !,hey pus&cd a long wnlkwnys Ihrough to other 5.;a lle rics. Thcl'c \\'as M. 11petlal pla,·c, a hui;e cube or a sp11r.c with towr.rin,;- ccJI .. lni::- 1 whne artists who like their nrt t.o hr blown up or set fire to, could rxhlhlt without boln,: 11 distraction to unyone elSf'. Walkwnys, bullt with th e hnndl– cnpped nnd whcclchflirs in n1ind, more ~cntlY u11 or down to different levels. In the centre of It all, runnln~ t.hc len~Lh of t,he roottrnll-field-slz– rd 1u·ra, rn Lhc hcnrt. nnd lungs or the complex. the wnter mall. Therr. when nII is finis hed, tall trees will sonr Lo the nlmosl-opcn roof. nnd ~reenery will spill from the o\'rrlooktn~ galleries. Aud the brilliance or the place srt•ms tn II• In tho !act lhl\t whrr– rnr you are .~·nu can Jt"llmp!!-c somr– wherc different and arr fill~rl with the ex"1trmcnL of ,vantlng to ACt tl,rrr. 'l'hr rc will be vast plnzns nnd oprn-n1r ~l:11lpt.11rc gardens. bistr os onrl c:tfrtrrln.; nnd places for Just siLl lng nnd wnl.ching the ~,ver go b;·. The RH Iler;- Is a place where you nrrcr need to rct.race your ,c;t,cps: It. will hf' i:1 pince where you CA n s pend the cntl rc dny. Pl111.ns nnri I\ prclcst riRn bricl llc orrr '.'v1rlhntrrnr Street. will Allow you to willk O\'CI' 10 th pcrfnrmln!! ;1r1 s romplrx wll hout. hn,·lni.: to fl <l> L the ll'Rl fi<'. ll hai- hl't'I\ ~aid 1hr rnllurnl rentre n Ill hf' nno of I hr hr~t or ll~ tn1r, 111 thr \\nrlcl. t rtnubtcd It before. I don 't any