PRETTY AS A PICTURE
First look at Coast’s $60m art gallery
GOLD Coast City Council will fast-track the building of its new art gallery and “green” bridge as part of the cultural precinct to quell any Commonwealth Games hangover.
Releasing the first impressions of the gallery yesterday, city leaders revealed the sixstorey feature would cost $60.5 million and cover 6000-6500sqm.
Work is likely to start either late next year or early 2019, and be complete by late 2020 – 18 months to two years faster than originally thought.
“With the amphitheatre full operational we will be ready to start on the next key piece of the precinct, including the green bridge and our new city art gallery,” Mayor
Tom Tate said yesterday. “This will be a vital project which will deliver important cultural infrastructure and jobs after the 2018 Games.”
The gallery is expected to
be built on Evandale’s southern side and will drastically expand the city’s existing display space to feature up to five floors of exhibits and halls.
According to concept designs,
it would also feature a rooftop eatery, providing views of the city skyline and the Nerang River.
While it is being built, planning will begin on the third
stage of the $300 million precinct, which take in the arts tower and upgrades of the existing arts centre.
Work on the $37.5 million first stage, unveiled yesterday, is expected to finish on December 1 when the performance amphitheatre and parkland will be fitted out. It will open early next year.
Built on the site of the council’s former “beehive” headquarters, it is expected to play a central role in Commonwealth Games celebrations.
Touring the site yesterday, Cr Tate said he expected the entire precinct to be completed by the mid-2020s.
“It is essential the city continue to build infrastructure and now that this first stage is delivered, the functionality
will shine and build momentum for the next,” he said.
“As we build this momentum we can get the next stages going as the public votes with their feet coming here.
“Once it is open you will see plenty of people coming here.”
The amphitheatre, known as the “versatile outdoor space”, will host up to 5000 people during performances and double as a function centre when its 3.5-tonne door is closed.
The roof of the centre will also function as accessible parkland for visitors who will be able to picnic on top with elevated views of Surfers Paradise.
Cr Tate dubbed the picnic spot “the best seats in the house”.
Lawn will be laid through November in the final phase of works which will be allowed to grow through the summer months before the first Games-related festivities are held as part of Festival GC.
A large Easter service is also expected to be held.
The Mayor said he hoped to attract leading music acts, including Pink, to perform intimate shows at the venue while touring Australia.
Gold Coast Eisteddfod manager Judith Ferber, a leading figure in the city’s arts
community for more than 36 years, welcomed news of the fast-tracked works.
She said the gallery, arts tower and revamp of the arts centre represented the culmination of the dream of a cultural precinct dating back to the early 1980s.
“I have been involved in the arts centre since day one,” she said.
“Any new features, particularly the gallery is incredibly welcome and our city deserves a centre like this.”
The Evandale site was first developed in the mid-1970s and was long-planned as the city’s cultural centre.
THIS WILL BE A VITAL PROJECT WHICH WILL DELIVER IMPORTANT CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND JOBS AFTER THE 2018 GAMES MAYOR TOM TATE