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

CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIH DEPARTMENT OF WORKS ARCHITECTS IN ASSOCIATIO ROBIN GIBSON & PARTNER .'t,1: l· I Au tht. 4 f'u llu rul ( 'cJJi h • \\ prov1dl.·" IL))' u IH)Jlll.H.111, a ~h1iil1li!-. :,11.' ·:xd1i11 g t,u1111ain and t 111tlscapcJ rivu >J ttks has lw ctt recently co111pl ·tcJ .,,,, will ·orni purt or tlau overall l.'Orh. 1.:p1 \ ' :h,· ·ut111rul C'e111rc for V•"'"11slt111· The lou11rni11 will be o ve rt,,ok,•d 1ro111 pcc..,ph.~ us111~ tllc platu Hrcu::. 1 1..:stauw11L aud aud1toriu111 and will h'-' .111 111111,>rtant dcrncnl 111 the tuial 1:nviro11rncnt. The lloating fountain, finished in stainless steel, is al>le to p1ovidc. a sitt!•k Jcl uf water which will read, 75111 inl " tit,· air hut 11uru111lly il will operate us pJ.111L·s ut 'A nh,:r each fonn\.:tl fro m I_} J"-'I ~ n·ach ing )01)1 high. Al night, this will be lloodlit and will to rl)I a wonllcrt'ul vihru111 cl.,111cn 1 when seen against the 11 ,odlit huildi11!', ,t the city and the Victoria Bridge. Th,· 1 .. untain 11001 which has been lle,i1:11ud for river lluw and tidul clt:111~,· :,,O :is lo nrcscnt a constant visual sc:11plurn°I c!,·111enl when the fountain 1 nut opc rntin~, weighs 37 tonnes unU i~ helJ in place by a system of andwr,1gcs T l1eje1s arc o perated fro111 a 111ul1i SIUI-\C pu111p which is powered by a 4JO h.p, 111utor. The Culiurul Centre to be co111ple1cd m I 'lS4 will house the Art Gallery, the Stale Museu111, the State Library and th,· Ct:nlre for the Performing Arts. The M uscu111 will provide spaces I or the functional work'iu!! of th~ Musc111 11 as well as pruvid111~ 6,500 111 of tl11u1 space for tltc stimulatmg prcsentutilH\ am! display or the exhihitio ns of the Museum. 111 a Courtyard of the Museu111 fronting G rey Street there will he a large scale geo111orphic g:,rdeu at Ground lloo r level which will be used both as an exhibit w passers-by and us a teaching aid for de1'nons1rution of th,· features of earth's structure. The Curatorial Officers of the Museum und their collections will be grouped on the apper floors of the building around an enviror1111cntal ganlcn five floors above tho ground ullowing them to create their own desired environment outside their work spacl!. '!1 c Ar ( ,allcry which will rnn , ,. 'Jl\1.' I the 11w, t 111odt•rn anU 1.' .\ ·it ·,11• in the wurh' 11,1:-. 111:l ny uniqut· :11u, d 1st111 c t1VL' h•.1!u ri.:-: i 11i.:1 r 1 01 a[t•t' "' t l'i tksig11 . l; allcry s1ac,· 01 4, 700 rn 2 Wtlh , J ry i111-\ n ·il tn~ h ·wl11s wUI he j.\ru,11•,·cl :dung a \.\'al1.·1· 111ull cu111 .1111ing iuun t:Jins and W,tll.'J 'iC lllptur l..' anJ lll1s space will ~1.:rvc. as an on1.:n ta tio1• J rea lu r the gallery viewer and wil' link by way ol ruyers, Joung,·, a1a1 :i n ou tside dining tcnu.:c with tht.'. Ftlucatiu n, Library und Ad1111nist1,1l11111 :m·.as of the gtdkr')' wlticlt .,re ull lucatcd so as tu enjoy llte v1<· w, ow r .he rivL'r . The, . will l>c between the ~!11><·11 111 and ltll· Art (;allery, a pcdest na 11 111., I which will he ~U!)µc11d'-'d :.tboh· llh. o utduor M.:t1lp l\H1.: galll ens and 1'1t· wa ter 111all a11<1 will link with ih, '!:i/a an:as, Lhc Audit o riu111 , Rcst:1u r;111 : ;111l! tit,· Lihr:iry. The l'cdcstrian mall will hridg,· Melbourne Stn·ct. and provide pair""' wishing to move to tin· Pcrfurr1ii11r An, with a walkway free 1'1..im v"hicular traffic as they cross Melbourne Street. T he combination of this wut kw:rv l>ridgc, the landscaped gardens, 1!1e trees and fountains on bo th sill,·, ,,I McllJuurne Street. will fon 11 a magnificent new g:itcway entra 11, c to the dty throutdt "' hich all lr.t ff!, 111 the d ty will pass. I '" " ,000 "':t l Lyric Thc11l re 111 ' lie P,• rfo1till 1g ,\ rte; (\.·111 r1; wdl he ~,1pai,k u f p1 ovulrnVt :t ,·,1riabil.· aud1crn.:,: 1.·.1p:1t.: tly rang.in ~• t1u 111 l .000 ,,:.,t~, I .) OU e11( ' tll : ,UOO ~cats , htk , till 11.:tu11d 11g. Lh1..· \:tlllL' high sta1H .11d uJ' ,11.'U ll~l lCS and t!il.' i11 ti111utc tcl.'! rng uf tltc th,·utrc. l'ltc _,000 seal Concert I tall will he 11 cla~.sical co 111..:crt hall \\d th a l"U!ll CJI pi pl' orga n u11d iLs Ul.'l'UStks will h,· t1,1s1..·d " n tit,· :1111 uus Musik Vereinsaal i11 Vh·nna. l'<>ycrs , ba rs and spaces fo r the public will he ~roupcd overlou~ 111i; tire ll'rt :tl'c•; a 11 d gu n.Jens and th,· nvl.!r and city 1,ey,, ml. t'hl· ha1.:k stal!,I! rai.:iUtks uf tilt.! l h,·:i l1l·S li~1vc been designed so thnt thl') " tll 1o r111 with the Pcrf,1n11111g Arts l'nll n·s in the o ther C.1111 t:il C•ties,:, cha in u l' theatres wh ich will "'II be capahlc of intcrcltan i;ittl,\ prudul'.tions so as to ui.:h.icvc ccon l1111ks 111 tltc cust uf producing live thcalre 1'01 the puhlic's c1•joymcnl. Uars, bistros . 1.:afctcrius and restaurant s will be located 1hrougl1oul tltc 10 1:1I complex with tit~ 1n.ri11 rcstaurnnt bd11g on the river b:rnk so as to p1ovidc tcrrnccs where p:.nrons can cuju} 1 the river vistas. T he restaurant will be combined wit It a SOO se:,( audituriu111 to provid e conventio n f:1ci!i1ics wh ich will 1,c :r splendid venue for Austruli:in w11lc co nventions. t )11 ~•.n '1.lh ' lt .ll I lilJJI 11,. • \. 1 f ,l' ~ 'i \\ 1 'i 1 ' tlu• 1H1Jt.!iJ11• ! 1 11 ,: l ,.d1.1h thv '.11 1 \'l' 11 h 1 . , ,~. , '1 I 111 1 11 ,1 'l.11 !1 ·:11 II 'itl•1.•, I )I ' 'll' n• u v \, ~, 1•111.., d, ,drm"- 111d u•,\. 11 ,,· .. 1 , , I 1 1, ,1 \ ,, 1r.h1 ul •,rl,, 1 I' I \\ Ii\' I 1 111 \~ 11 1 \I, I\ I l.'II j I t.' l' t• ,II k.1'il , q l hl'IJ ~.11,;1,.'J) I-• Il l I \. ,111 vv1.h.·l1 1111 <111.: ' 'l• c111 11\ \\ Ill' I J1111 \1.11.•i \._111111ch. •, ,1rli.:l~ Lhc p1 u .. l.'cd 111,-~ ,\ !111..: h11n·•1 \\ ~t, lh·111µ ,11npld l.'d .w d 'la• ,~11.>Ufl tlicll p, , ,,·~·l•du 1 I•• 1!1,: t\. t11L!. l1.:r ! lll',1ll'l' h • 111 111t t 1 1· lh,· 11\ l' p~111cl 1111.: rnlw r-. I h ll ,,,,, t.'d •,: JI l'l'llh' IH jlJ 01,.'l't' l.li: J t I •t·,1k \l ll I lh .., , ' , 111d )',l\ t,.' ,I · ~1 11 ll' I ,1 l ,•111 : , , . i\1 1 1..·1 .111 ltlHlr ' ,\ .1, ,ll'P• • li 1 1 1,11 tlll'fl' \\Cfl' ,111, ·:i_,•t, ,1 l ,.., l'l' \1 :111Jtc..111c n l 1 ,, c't'J ll ,•1h 1 :•~1"1 •d hy he ..· 1.'l!,it-.•·, .1 1 1 l'\ L'l1 "'t11111..· dilfcr..:t1t.:\.: l'.J tJH ht.'lwt:,.:1, the 'ipt·aJ..,·r~. t h,· t 1h1 Jl'Y wt11ch will house the ~la lc Lrhra ry and the historical John 1 l\ k y 1.itn ary has been dcsignl'tl so us t1) )lll'!\~l\ll' 111,· existing large Jucurnnda 11n:s 1.111 thl' ~,tc and in su doing, will ,:1,•,1fl.' :1n nu1d uor Heading Ruoru which will lw u11u111l' 111 Austruli11 . The l{cut.li111 1 1<,111111~ will hl· lo ca1cJ su as to over-tool-. tit,· 1r,·,·-,h:1<kd o utdoor !tending Roolll ll.'l'la~1..· ;,rnd llav,· 111 ag.nifh.:i:.nl views ur' 1h,· rivet und 1h,· ,·11 y hcy o ttd . Th,• reader services ul' the Lil>rnry will be located at l'l,iz.1level and will cnJuy hoth the riv-,r views and the vlL'ws u f the t rc1..•-sha<l(!cf h:rraccs. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Wit l>in s,•c tio ns ol' the profession I 11..'l'I thl'l'l' is a confusion, a concern wi th huw 10 1.'.0()I! with developments i11 :rr ·ltileclurc ,11111 the rea!isat iun that ,11 l.'h11cc1 un· is not th~ exclusive p111dun o f architects. Nol many have 1.11Jlh.' tu 1t.:r111s with thl! pretence of !111dd 111~'i bdng co111 rnun icuting o b11·.. :b . Ii 1, ., fact th at specialist tcch1111logies have ,kvclo ptd al a rapid 1at,· .111d ii is interesting 10 louk back 111 archi1,·c1ural practice in llrishane I -i years att, 1 ' when I h1..~rc was no sudt 1htn~ .1~ aco1.., tic cunsultunl, lamlscap..: p l.1111tl' I', soi.:1 1log1st consult ·rnt, l.'l1 Y111) 1111a·.111 al analyst , lightin~ l·•msult:1111. 1111.: tltud s analyst, 111du, t nJli"lt:J building manufat.'.turcr, ,111d ., hu~t ol 1>1hcr :tctivnics all .1~:-,i11..1:11n l wit h buildiJtg dcvdopmcnt . '\J l 1\\ ,1.!l wdl, 111,•n; is project 111,111.1gl· t11,·111 with wh kh It) topc. I 1, 11,1\'l! !car-;: th;.it i.lrchitl·~turc 1s in 11' dc 1111~l' 1s 11L·g;1t1vc anJ putt ing 011 ,11 .. 111111~ ~ (') , t .,, hl'ltc1 lo f;fllS P the knowleJge , 11 \\ 11.11 u u c .111 du 1111J <.Ju ii well . I .11 hc llet Ill answer th,· questions of ~·11.1111·,· l'\'Cn tllo ugh thcse answers bl·