Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects’ Glasshouse is Port Macquarie’s newest cultural center. Comprised of a 600-seat performing arts theater, a 600m2 Regional Art Gallery, a studio theatre, conference facilities and a community workshop, the design activates the growing city, encouraging the public to experience or participate in a variety of activities.
More about the project, including more images after the break.
The glass façade gently wraps the entire complex, allowing perfect views toward the Pacific Ocean and providing a feeling of weightlessness. At specific points, the curved form extends past the lower level, providing shade to those on the street level. “The exterior building expression is generated by the contrasting orders of the city grid and the voluminous form of the theater shell, with it’s level 3 echo, the glass ’skirt’ cantilevering over Clarence Street,” added the architects.
Inside, the cultural elements are slightly overlapped to mix, rather than isolate, the activities. For instance, the gallery shares the same foyer space as the theater, allowing the exhibitions to fill all the public spaces of the building.
The auditorium is a semi-traditional proscenium horseshoe, with a fully equipped lyric stage and fly tower. Operable sound-screens enable the space to be used for classical concert music. The orchestra pit is hydraulically raised and lowered to increase the flexibility of the space.
Photography by Brett Boardman and Rob Connell. As seen on the Contemporist.
Additional Information
Client: Hastings Council
Location: Port Macquarie, NSW
Team
:
Tim Greer, Trina Day, Regina Meyer, Roger O’Sullivan, Peter Tonkin, Kon Vourtzoumis, Bettina Siegmund, Elizabeth Muir, Paul Rolfe, John Chesterman, Tamara Frangelli, Jen
nifer Fetner, Alison Osborne, Ben Daly, Kon Vourtzoumis
