Blight Rayner & Snøhetta win tender for AU$150m addition to Queensland Cultural Centre

The winning design has been announced for the theatre set to join the stage at the Queensland Cultural Centre in Brisbane. Following a tender process initiated by the Queensland state government, Blight Rayner and Snøhetta were revealed as authors of the winning proposal. The new world-class facility is expected to enable the Centre to present an extra 260 performances a year and welcome an additional 300,000 visitors annually.

The venue will be co-located with and operated by Queensland Performance Arts Centre (QPAC), which already runs four theatres on the Playhouse Green site. An 11-year construction period began on The Queensland Cultural Centre in 1976, working to a design by Brisbane-based architect Robin Gibson. When announcing the winner, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stated: “This stunning world class design respects the original design by Robin Gibson, while providing a unique identity for QPAC’s fifth theatre. My Government’s commitment of $125 million towards the $150 million new theatre is the largest investment in Queensland arts infrastructure since the Gallery of Modern Art. The new venue will make QPAC the largest performing arts centre in Australia.”

Traditionally home to the Jagera and Turrbal people, following colonisation the area was the location of the infamous Moreton Bay Penal colony. Later, South Bank's wharves were the busiest in Brisbane, developing the site into a hub of culture and trading activity. Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said the development would be guided by the Conservation Management Plan to fit with the heritage setting. She said: “This winning design features a stunning glass façade, two new studio spaces and transparent foyer spaces. The design also importantly recognises First Nations Peoples and the cultural significance of South Bank, with inspiration in the design drawn from the Brisbane River as an important meeting place and a place for telling stories.”

Lucy Nordberg
TenderStream Head of Research

This tender was first published by TenderStream on 27.11.2018 here

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