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The Arts Centre (Melbourne)
Encyclopedia
The Victorian Arts Centre is a performing arts centre
consisting of a complex of theatre
s and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct
, located in the inner Melbourne
suburb of Southbank
in Victoria
, Australia.
It was designed by architect Sir Roy Grounds
, the masterplan for the complex (along with the National Gallery of Victoria
) was approved in 1960, and construction of the Arts Centre began in 1973 following some delays. The complex opened in stages, with Hamer Hall opening in 1982, and the Theatres Building opening in 1984.
The Arts Centre is located by the Yarra River
and along St Kilda Road
, one of the city's main thoroughfares, and extends into the Melbourne Arts Precinct
.
Major companies regularly performing in the theatres include Opera Australia
and The Australian Ballet, the Melbourne Theatre Company
and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
. The Arts Centre also hosts a large number of Australian and international performances and production companies.
The Arts Centre is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
.
After World War II it was decided that Melbourne needed a cultural centre. After many years of discussion, a master plan was approved in 1960, with Sir Roy Grounds as the chosen architect.
During the ensuing years, and to accommodate difficulties associated with the geology of the site, changes to the original plans were made and eventually the Arts Centre emerged as two buildings – now known as the Theatres Building and Hamer Hall.
Responsibility for the project lay with the Building Committee, established in 1956 was chaired by Kenneth Myer from 1965 to 1989. For twenty five years this committee was a consistent force in the completion of the complex. Actor and film director, George Fairfax, having joined the project in 1972, was appointed the first General Manager of the Building Committee and then the Trust, a position he held until 1989. As a result Fairfax played an influential role in administration of the Arts Centre’s development.
Work had begun on the theatre site in 1973, with excavation work not completed until 1977/8, two years later than expected, and on the concert hall site in 1976. During the first phase of the construction responsibility for the project was with Rupert Hamer
as Minister of the Arts (and Premier) from 1972–1979 and during the final phase with Norman Lacy
as Minister for the Arts (and Minister of Educational Services) from 1979–1982.
Academy Award-winning expatriate set designer, John Truscott
, was employed to decorate the interiors. His work was constrained only by a requirement to leave elements already constructed, such as Ground's faceted cave Concert Hall interior, to which he applied jewelled finishes, and his steel mesh draped ceiling in the State Theatre
, to which he added perforated brass balls.
During his tenure, Norman Lacy
was constantly called on to defend the Victorian Arts Centre Trust and its construction program during some highly charged public debates in the Parliament. He had to defend the acoustics, the design of the spire, the rejection of the proposed changes to the Concert Hall interiors, the BASS ticketing system of the project, as well as its delays and cost over runs.
The Victorian Arts Centre’s management and administration was set up under the Victorian Arts Centre Act 1979 introduced into the Victorian Parliament by Norman Lacy
. The trustees were appointed by the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister. The Trust was given responsibility for the operation and programming of the publicly owned performing arts spaces that make up the Victorian Arts Centre – the Theatres Building beneath the Spire, Hamer Hall and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
Soon after the legisation to establish the Trust was passed, Norman Lacy
and George Fairfax undertook a study trip to North America and Europe to assess administrative arrangements, educational programs and community initiatives at major performing arts centres in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington, Toronto, Ottawa, London and Paris. The result was the development of the Arts Centre management structure during 1981 and a suite of opening and on-going initiatives.
The Concert Hall opened in November 1982, while substantial work remained to be done on the Theatres site. The rest of the Arts Centre was opened progressively in 1984, with the Theatres building officially opened in October that year. This signified the completion of one of the largest public works projects in Victorian history, which had been undertaken over a period of almost twenty five years.
The Arts Centre is unusual in that its theatres and concert hall are built largely underground. Hamer Hall, situated closest to the river, was initially planned to be almost entirely underground, thus providing a huge open vista between the theatre spire, the river and Flinders Street Station
. However, construction problems with the foundations, including water seepage, meant the structure had to be raised to three storeys above ground.
Similarly, budget constraints meant that Grounds' design for the Theatres Building, which included a copper-clad spire, were shelved, and a shortened un-clad design was substituted. This was eventually replaced with the current 'full-height' un-clad spire.
The Sidney Myer Music Bowl
, situated in nearby Kings Domain, is an outdoor arena also managed by the Arts Centre. It seats 12,000 on the lawn area and 2,150 in reserved seating, and is used for music concerts.
Hamer Hall
Hamer Hall (formerly the Melbourne Concert Hall) is a 2,661 seat concert hall – the largest venue in the Arts Centre complex, used for orchestra
and contemporary music performances. It was opened in 1982, and was later renamed Hamer Hall in honour of Sir Rupert Hamer
(the 39th Premier of Victoria) shortly after his death in 2004.
State Theatre
The State Theatre
is located in the Theatres Building of the Arts Centre complex, under the spire, and is a 2,077 seat theatre used for opera
and theatre
performances. It was opened in 1984, and has one of the largest stages in the World.
Playhouse
The Playhouse is also located in the Theatres Building of the Arts Centre complex, and is a 822 seat theatre used for play
s and dance
performances. It was also opened in 1984.
Fairfax Studio
The Fairfax Studio is also located in the Theatres Building of the Arts Centre complex, and is a 376 seat theatre. It was also opened in 1984.
Galleries
The Arts Centre also houses dedicated gallery spaces including Gallery 1 (formally the George Adams Gallery) on Level 6 (Ground level), Gallery 2 on Level 7, the St Kilda Road Foyer Gallery and the Smorgon Family Plaza, whose walls and central areas are used for exhibitions, in the Theatres Building.
at the Arts Centre, Melbourne is the foremost and largest specialist performing arts collection in Australia, with over 450,000 items relating to the history of circus, dance, music, opera and theatre in Australia and of Australian performers overseas.
The original spire envisaged by Roy Grounds was 115 metres tall and because of its complexity was one of the first structures in Australia to rely on computer-aided-design (CAD). After significant public controversy, political inquiry and financial reassessment, the spire was finally completed by the Minister for the Arts, Norman Lacy
, installing the lightning conductor rod at its pinnacle on 20 October 1981.
By the mid-1990s, signs of deterioration became apparent on the upper spire structure, and the Arts Centre Trust decided to replace the spire. The new spire was completed in 1996, and reaches 162 metres, though it is still based on Grounds' original design. The spire is illuminated with roughly 6,600 metres (21,653 feet) of optic fibre tubing, 150 metres (492 feet) of neon tubing on the mast and 14,000 incandescent lamps on the spire's skirt. The metal webbing of the spire is influenced by the billowing of a ballerina's tutu and the Eiffel Tower
.
A Wedge-tailed Eagle
and Peregrine Falcon
were utilised in early 2008 to deter groups of Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
s from damaging the spire's electrical fittings and thimble-sized lights.
128.5 million redevelopment which will make the facility even more accessible, providing a better experience for audiences, and ensuring that it can continue to attract and present a wide range of top international and local performers.
The project will help Victoria maintain its competitive advantage well into the future by providing a cultural precinct where all Victorians and visitors can experience the best arts and cultural activities from Australia and around the world.
The redevelopment of Hamer Hall will provide a better experience for audiences and performers alike through improved acoustics, better box office facilities, staging systems and technology, and new auditorium seating for patrons to enjoy a greater range of performances.
The renovation will create a new outward facing venue that aims to enhance the unique heritage character of the building, making it more accessible and inviting to the public.
Planned improvements include: new and expanded foyer spaces, new connections with the city, St Kilda Road and the river, with new stairs, improved disability access, escalators and lifts, improved acoustics, new auditorium seating and cutting edge staging systems and technology.
The A$128.5 million redevelopment is first stage of the Southbank Cultural Precinct redevelopment which aims to deliver an increased cultural presence for the state by enhancing public connectivity and accessibility, linking Victoria's major arts venues and companies via a new urban space, and providing exceptional public amenity for the community and burgeoning residential population of Southbank and the CBD.
A TTY phone system operates to allow direct access to the Arts Centre by phone for people with hearing disabilities. The dedicated number for this service is (03) 9281 8441.
A hearing system is available in all Arts Centre venues except BlackBox and the ANZ Pavilion. The system utilises a FM signal, providing coverage to all seats in the venues via headphones or neckloops, and is available from the venue ushers.
Patrons may seek assistance into the auditorium from any of the front of house staff either at the St Kilda Road Level Concierge Desk in The Theatres Building or in the theatre foyer. There are a small number of wheelchairs available for in-house use (i.e. from carpark to seats) but these must be booked by calling the Concierge in advance. Accessible car parking is available in the Arts Centre car park, however, limited spaces are available. There is also some disabled street parking around the Sydney Myer Music Bowl on a first come, first serve basis.
Performing arts center
Performing arts center, often abbreviated PAC, is used to refer to* A multi-use performance space that is intended for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre....
consisting of a complex of theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
s and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct
Melbourne Arts Precinct
The Melbourne Arts Precinct is a series of galleries, performing arts venues and spaces in Melbourne, Victoria, in Australia. The precinct is situated less than 1 km from the Melbourne city centre in Southbank and is centred around, and near, St Kilda Road...
, located in the inner Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
suburb of Southbank
Southbank, Victoria
Southbank is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia located direct south of the Yarra River opposite Melbourne's Hoddle Grid. The northernmost area is considered part of the Central Business District and Central Activities District of the city. Its Local Government Area are the...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia.
It was designed by architect Sir Roy Grounds
Roy Grounds
Sir Roy Burman Grounds , wasone of Australia's leading architects of the modern movement.-Biography:Born in Melbourne, Grounds was educated at Scotch College and then Melbourne University and worked for the architectural firm of Blackett, Forster and Craig...
, the masterplan for the complex (along with the National Gallery of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
) was approved in 1960, and construction of the Arts Centre began in 1973 following some delays. The complex opened in stages, with Hamer Hall opening in 1982, and the Theatres Building opening in 1984.
The Arts Centre is located by the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
and along St Kilda Road
St Kilda Road, Melbourne
St Kilda Road is a street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is part of the locality of Melbourne which has the postcode of 3004 and along with Swanston Street forms a major spine of the city....
, one of the city's main thoroughfares, and extends into the Melbourne Arts Precinct
Melbourne Arts Precinct
The Melbourne Arts Precinct is a series of galleries, performing arts venues and spaces in Melbourne, Victoria, in Australia. The precinct is situated less than 1 km from the Melbourne city centre in Southbank and is centred around, and near, St Kilda Road...
.
Major companies regularly performing in the theatres include Opera Australia
Opera Australia
Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder of its time spent in the The Arts Centre in Melbourne...
and The Australian Ballet, the Melbourne Theatre Company
Melbourne Theatre Company
The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne. Founded in 1953, it is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia, and has its own theatre, The MTC Theatre – which houses the 500-seat Sumner Theatre and the 150-seat Lawler Studio – located in Melbourne's Arts...
and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Melbourne, Australia. It has 100 permanent musicians. Melbourne has the longest continuous history of orchestral music of any Australian city and the MSO is the oldest professional orchestra in Australia...
. The Arts Centre also hosts a large number of Australian and international performances and production companies.
The Arts Centre is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...
.
History
The Arts Centre site has long been associated with arts and entertainment and has previously been home to circus, theatre, roller and ice skating, cinema and dance.After World War II it was decided that Melbourne needed a cultural centre. After many years of discussion, a master plan was approved in 1960, with Sir Roy Grounds as the chosen architect.
During the ensuing years, and to accommodate difficulties associated with the geology of the site, changes to the original plans were made and eventually the Arts Centre emerged as two buildings – now known as the Theatres Building and Hamer Hall.
Responsibility for the project lay with the Building Committee, established in 1956 was chaired by Kenneth Myer from 1965 to 1989. For twenty five years this committee was a consistent force in the completion of the complex. Actor and film director, George Fairfax, having joined the project in 1972, was appointed the first General Manager of the Building Committee and then the Trust, a position he held until 1989. As a result Fairfax played an influential role in administration of the Arts Centre’s development.
Work had begun on the theatre site in 1973, with excavation work not completed until 1977/8, two years later than expected, and on the concert hall site in 1976. During the first phase of the construction responsibility for the project was with Rupert Hamer
Rupert Hamer
Sir Rupert James Hamer, AC, KCMG, ED , generally known until he was knighted in 1982 as Dick Hamer, Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 39th Premier of Victoria, serving from 1972 to 1981.-Early years:...
as Minister of the Arts (and Premier) from 1972–1979 and during the final phase with Norman Lacy
Norman Lacy
Norman Henry Lacy, Australian politician, is a former Victorian Government Minister from May 1979 to April 1982 who grew up in Richmond, Victoria and three times represented his state at national under age basketball championships...
as Minister for the Arts (and Minister of Educational Services) from 1979–1982.
Academy Award-winning expatriate set designer, John Truscott
John Truscott
John Truscott was an Australian actor, production designer and costume designer. He won two Academy Awards for his work on the 1967 film Camelot....
, was employed to decorate the interiors. His work was constrained only by a requirement to leave elements already constructed, such as Ground's faceted cave Concert Hall interior, to which he applied jewelled finishes, and his steel mesh draped ceiling in the State Theatre
State Theatre (Melbourne)
Melbourne's original State Theatre was built in 1929 to seat 3,371 patrons and is situated on Flinders Street. It was conceived as an "atmospheric auditorium", a novelty in Melbourne at the time. Another notable feature was the dual-console Wurlitzer organ, the first to be built "west of Chicago",...
, to which he added perforated brass balls.
During his tenure, Norman Lacy
Norman Lacy
Norman Henry Lacy, Australian politician, is a former Victorian Government Minister from May 1979 to April 1982 who grew up in Richmond, Victoria and three times represented his state at national under age basketball championships...
was constantly called on to defend the Victorian Arts Centre Trust and its construction program during some highly charged public debates in the Parliament. He had to defend the acoustics, the design of the spire, the rejection of the proposed changes to the Concert Hall interiors, the BASS ticketing system of the project, as well as its delays and cost over runs.
The Victorian Arts Centre’s management and administration was set up under the Victorian Arts Centre Act 1979 introduced into the Victorian Parliament by Norman Lacy
Norman Lacy
Norman Henry Lacy, Australian politician, is a former Victorian Government Minister from May 1979 to April 1982 who grew up in Richmond, Victoria and three times represented his state at national under age basketball championships...
. The trustees were appointed by the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister. The Trust was given responsibility for the operation and programming of the publicly owned performing arts spaces that make up the Victorian Arts Centre – the Theatres Building beneath the Spire, Hamer Hall and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
Soon after the legisation to establish the Trust was passed, Norman Lacy
Norman Lacy
Norman Henry Lacy, Australian politician, is a former Victorian Government Minister from May 1979 to April 1982 who grew up in Richmond, Victoria and three times represented his state at national under age basketball championships...
and George Fairfax undertook a study trip to North America and Europe to assess administrative arrangements, educational programs and community initiatives at major performing arts centres in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington, Toronto, Ottawa, London and Paris. The result was the development of the Arts Centre management structure during 1981 and a suite of opening and on-going initiatives.
The Concert Hall opened in November 1982, while substantial work remained to be done on the Theatres site. The rest of the Arts Centre was opened progressively in 1984, with the Theatres building officially opened in October that year. This signified the completion of one of the largest public works projects in Victorian history, which had been undertaken over a period of almost twenty five years.
The Arts Centre is unusual in that its theatres and concert hall are built largely underground. Hamer Hall, situated closest to the river, was initially planned to be almost entirely underground, thus providing a huge open vista between the theatre spire, the river and Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
. However, construction problems with the foundations, including water seepage, meant the structure had to be raised to three storeys above ground.
Similarly, budget constraints meant that Grounds' design for the Theatres Building, which included a copper-clad spire, were shelved, and a shortened un-clad design was substituted. This was eventually replaced with the current 'full-height' un-clad spire.
Performance venues and facilities
The Arts Centre is a complex of distinct venues. Hamer Hall is a separate building and the largest of the venues – the building also houses the small experimental theatre BlackBox. The other venues (the State Theatre, Playhouse and Fairfax Studio) are housed in the Theatres Building (under the spire).The Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Sidney Myer Music Bowl
The Sidney Myer Music Bowl is an outdoor performance venue in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located in the lawns and gardens of Kings Domain, close to the Arts Centre and the Southbank entertainment precinct...
, situated in nearby Kings Domain, is an outdoor arena also managed by the Arts Centre. It seats 12,000 on the lawn area and 2,150 in reserved seating, and is used for music concerts.
Hamer Hall (formerly the Melbourne Concert Hall) is a 2,661 seat concert hall – the largest venue in the Arts Centre complex, used for orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
and contemporary music performances. It was opened in 1982, and was later renamed Hamer Hall in honour of Sir Rupert Hamer
Rupert Hamer
Sir Rupert James Hamer, AC, KCMG, ED , generally known until he was knighted in 1982 as Dick Hamer, Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 39th Premier of Victoria, serving from 1972 to 1981.-Early years:...
(the 39th Premier of Victoria) shortly after his death in 2004.
State Theatre
The State Theatre
State Theatre (Melbourne)
Melbourne's original State Theatre was built in 1929 to seat 3,371 patrons and is situated on Flinders Street. It was conceived as an "atmospheric auditorium", a novelty in Melbourne at the time. Another notable feature was the dual-console Wurlitzer organ, the first to be built "west of Chicago",...
is located in the Theatres Building of the Arts Centre complex, under the spire, and is a 2,077 seat theatre used for opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
performances. It was opened in 1984, and has one of the largest stages in the World.
Playhouse
The Playhouse is also located in the Theatres Building of the Arts Centre complex, and is a 822 seat theatre used for play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
s and dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
performances. It was also opened in 1984.
Fairfax Studio
The Fairfax Studio is also located in the Theatres Building of the Arts Centre complex, and is a 376 seat theatre. It was also opened in 1984.
Galleries
The Arts Centre also houses dedicated gallery spaces including Gallery 1 (formally the George Adams Gallery) on Level 6 (Ground level), Gallery 2 on Level 7, the St Kilda Road Foyer Gallery and the Smorgon Family Plaza, whose walls and central areas are used for exhibitions, in the Theatres Building.
Performing Arts Collection
The Performing Arts CollectionPerforming Arts Collection
The Performing Arts Collection at the Arts Centre, Melbourne is the largest specialist performing arts collection in Australia, with over 450,000 items relating to the history of circus, dance, music, opera and theatre in Australia and of Australian performers overseas.- Highlights of the...
at the Arts Centre, Melbourne is the foremost and largest specialist performing arts collection in Australia, with over 450,000 items relating to the history of circus, dance, music, opera and theatre in Australia and of Australian performers overseas.
Arts Centre Spire
The complex retains landmark status due to its massive steel spire and its wrap-around base.The original spire envisaged by Roy Grounds was 115 metres tall and because of its complexity was one of the first structures in Australia to rely on computer-aided-design (CAD). After significant public controversy, political inquiry and financial reassessment, the spire was finally completed by the Minister for the Arts, Norman Lacy
Norman Lacy
Norman Henry Lacy, Australian politician, is a former Victorian Government Minister from May 1979 to April 1982 who grew up in Richmond, Victoria and three times represented his state at national under age basketball championships...
, installing the lightning conductor rod at its pinnacle on 20 October 1981.
By the mid-1990s, signs of deterioration became apparent on the upper spire structure, and the Arts Centre Trust decided to replace the spire. The new spire was completed in 1996, and reaches 162 metres, though it is still based on Grounds' original design. The spire is illuminated with roughly 6,600 metres (21,653 feet) of optic fibre tubing, 150 metres (492 feet) of neon tubing on the mast and 14,000 incandescent lamps on the spire's skirt. The metal webbing of the spire is influenced by the billowing of a ballerina's tutu and the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
.
A Wedge-tailed Eagle
Wedge-tailed Eagle
The Wedge-tailed Eagle , sometimes known as the Eaglehawk in its native range, is the largest bird of prey in Australia, but it is also found in southern New Guinea. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and an unmistakable wedge-shaped tail...
and Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
were utilised in early 2008 to deter groups of Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita, is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia and New Guinea. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being considered pests...
s from damaging the spire's electrical fittings and thimble-sized lights.
Redevelopment
Hamer Hall is to undergo a A$Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
128.5 million redevelopment which will make the facility even more accessible, providing a better experience for audiences, and ensuring that it can continue to attract and present a wide range of top international and local performers.
The project will help Victoria maintain its competitive advantage well into the future by providing a cultural precinct where all Victorians and visitors can experience the best arts and cultural activities from Australia and around the world.
The redevelopment of Hamer Hall will provide a better experience for audiences and performers alike through improved acoustics, better box office facilities, staging systems and technology, and new auditorium seating for patrons to enjoy a greater range of performances.
The renovation will create a new outward facing venue that aims to enhance the unique heritage character of the building, making it more accessible and inviting to the public.
Planned improvements include: new and expanded foyer spaces, new connections with the city, St Kilda Road and the river, with new stairs, improved disability access, escalators and lifts, improved acoustics, new auditorium seating and cutting edge staging systems and technology.
The A$128.5 million redevelopment is first stage of the Southbank Cultural Precinct redevelopment which aims to deliver an increased cultural presence for the state by enhancing public connectivity and accessibility, linking Victoria's major arts venues and companies via a new urban space, and providing exceptional public amenity for the community and burgeoning residential population of Southbank and the CBD.
Disability access
There are accessible seating options in all of Arts Centre venues with companion seating available in most venues. Seating maps for Fairfax, Hamer Hall (stalls and circle), Playhouse (circle) and State Theatre (circle and boxes) and Sidney Myer Music Bowl (stalls and boxes) indicate accessible seating.A TTY phone system operates to allow direct access to the Arts Centre by phone for people with hearing disabilities. The dedicated number for this service is (03) 9281 8441.
A hearing system is available in all Arts Centre venues except BlackBox and the ANZ Pavilion. The system utilises a FM signal, providing coverage to all seats in the venues via headphones or neckloops, and is available from the venue ushers.
Patrons may seek assistance into the auditorium from any of the front of house staff either at the St Kilda Road Level Concierge Desk in The Theatres Building or in the theatre foyer. There are a small number of wheelchairs available for in-house use (i.e. from carpark to seats) but these must be booked by calling the Concierge in advance. Accessible car parking is available in the Arts Centre car park, however, limited spaces are available. There is also some disabled street parking around the Sydney Myer Music Bowl on a first come, first serve basis.