The Glasshouse in New South Wales, Australia by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

August 7th, 2010 - Posted in Architecture

Luxury Building Designs of The Glasshouse by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

The Glasshouse is a new cultural center of Port Macquarie, which was designed by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects. The building is located in New South Wales, Australia. The Glasshouse consists 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.

The Glasshouse in New South Wales by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

Design in this building takes advantage of a view of the Pacific Ocean and is based on ‘openness’ and accessibility. The gallery is located to share the foyer space of the theatre, allowing appropriate exhibitions to fill the public spaces of the building and, in low-visitation days, the centre to be operated with minimal staff. 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.

The Glasshouse in Australia by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

Interior Design The Glasshouse by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

The Glasshouse by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

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. The design anticipated significant archaeological relics from the Governor Macquarie convict era, in the form of footings of a series of 1820’s cottages. They were not fully revealed until the existing site buildings were demolished, and once exposed the footings were preserved and revealed to the public in the basement and interpreted on the ground floor of the foyer.