Description of the attraction
The Victoria State Arts Center is a cultural complex in Melbourne, consisting of theaters and a concert hall. It is here that the Australian Ballet Company, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Opera House and the Melbourne Theater regularly give concerts and performances.
The place where the Art Center is located today has always been associated with art and entertainment among city residents - previously it housed a circus, theater, rollerdrome, cinema and dance club. After the Second World War, it was decided that Melbourne needed the concept of a single cultural center, but the development and approval of the project dragged on for almost 15 years. Only in 1960 was the architect of the future complex, Roy Grounds, chosen, and the construction itself began in 1973 and lasted more than 10 years. In 1982, the Hammer Hall was opened on the banks of the Yarra River on Saint Kilda Street, and the Theater Building was opened two years later.
The peculiarity of the Art Center lies in the fact that both the concert hall and the Theater Building are located mostly underground. Hammer Hall, located closer to the river, was originally planned to be almost entirely underground to provide a panoramic view between the theater, the river and Flinders Street Station. However, during the construction phase, problems with the foundations arose and the building had to be raised three stories above the ground.
The Art Center consists of several divisions. The largest of these is the Hummer Hall. This is a separate building that also houses the small Black Box Theater. Other divisions - the State Theater, Drama Theater and Fairfax Studio - are located in the Theater Building. In addition, the so-called Sidney Mayer's Music Bowl, an open-air venue that can hold up to 15,000 people, is also run by the Arts Center administration. This stadium hosts various music concerts and shows.
Roy Grounds' project involved the erection of a huge 115-meter spire over the center, which was one of the first computer-designed structures in Australia. The spire was installed in 1981, but by the mid-1990s, traces of metal wear began to be noticeable. The new spire, reaching 162 meters in height and exactly repeating the design of the previous one, was installed in 1996. The spire's metal "web" resembles a ballerina's tutu and the Eiffel Tower at the same time.
