Monocle Surveys Nine New Public Buildings, from Brisbane's Glasshouse Theatre to a Jihlava Arena
The Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane has been expanded to include the Glasshouse Theatre, which accommodates 1,500 seats and was crafted by Blight Rayner Architecture alongside Norway's Snøhetta. Its striking 173-metre glass façade is inspired by a poem from Aboriginal elder Lilla Watson. Inside, seven skylights symbolize the watersheds of Queensland. Meanwhile, in Warsaw, Projekt Praga has moved the University of Warsaw's psychology faculty into a new eco-brutalist structure featuring exposed concrete and wood. Co-founder Marcin Garbacki highlighted two ground-floor areas: a communal 'living room' and an atrium with classrooms and galleries. Additionally, a competition in Jihlava, Czechia, resulted in a sports arena topped with an open-air running track.
Key facts
- The Glasshouse Theatre seats 1,500 and forms part of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre expansion in Brisbane
- Blight Rayner Architecture worked with Snøhetta on the theatre, whose glass façade measures 173 metres
- Seven skylights in the theatre reference Queensland's seven watersheds
- Lilla Watson's poem about fish in the city's river inspired the glass veil
- Projekt Praga designed the University of Warsaw Faculty of Psychology for a 2,000-strong faculty
- Marcin Garbacki co-founded Projekt Praga
- Rosan Bosch designed KIS International School Reignwood Park in Bangkok, with 24 hectares of outdoor space
- Jihlava Municipal Arena in Czechia emerged from an architectural competition, with surplus funds used to renovate the neighbouring park
Entities
Artists
- Jayson Blight
- Lilla Watson
- Marcin Garbacki
- Rosan Bosch
- Blight Rayner
- Michael Rayner
- Gumji Kang
- Robin Gibson
Institutions
- Blight Rayner Architecture
- Snøhetta
- Queensland Performing Arts Centre
- Glasshouse Theatre
- University of Warsaw
- Projekt Praga
- KIS International School Reignwood Park
- Jihlava Municipal Arena
- Monocle
- Queensland Performing Arts Center (QPAC)
- seele
- Arup
- Schuler Shook
- Acoustic Studio
- Lendlease
- Inhabit
- NDY Engineering
- Holmes Engineering
- LAT 27
- Dot Dash
- Superior Walls & Ceilings
- The P.A. People
- Derlot
- Queensland Government (Arts Queensland)
Locations
- Brisbane
- Australia
- Queensland
- Warsaw
- Poland
- Bangkok
- Thailand
- Jihlava
- Czechia
- Norway
- Copenhagen
- Denmark
- Madrid
- Spain
- South Bank