Architect Guy Maron releases vision for ‘iconic’ concert hall for Adelaide
The architect behind several Adelaide landmarks has revealed plans for a world-class concert hall in our city. But his preferred location for it is sure to spark controversy. SEE THE DESIGNS
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A visionary architect behind Adelaide landmarks, including the Bicentennial Conservatory, has urged construction of an “iconic” new concert hall to drive more cultural tourism.
Order of Australia recipient Guy Maron, who was also responsible for Premier Steven Marshall’s early concept plans for an Aboriginal art and cultures gallery at Lot Fourteen, has revealed to the Sunday Mail his vision for a concert hall of world-class standard.
And, he controversially suggests Riverbank parklands would be the ideal and “romantic” site.
It comes as the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra also seeks funding for a full business plan into locating and building a new concert hall, to be used in preference to the Adelaide Town Hall.
Mr Maron said there was clear need for such a new building, costing about $100 million, as town hall’s roughly 900-seat capacity was too small to attract the biggest performers.
“It is something that has been mooted in Adelaide, in political circles,” he said.
“Having a specific-purpose concert hall, with the best acoustics in Australia if not the world, would be a good thing for SA. We are a small state, so whatever we do has to be excellent.
“I think this (design) is a good concert hall, with an acoustic hub built in reinforced concrete. We need that because we are under the flight path.
“The rest is walkabout space, exhibitions and drinking halls and so on, which is something we need for a musical focus in Adelaide.
“I’m hoping this will rattle the chains a little bit. I want Adelaide to build something like this.
“Someone needs to put their money where their mouth is.”
The concept is for a hall that would flex to accommodate up to about 2000 seats when required, but a final commercial study is recommended to decide optimal size.
Preferred interiors are large amounts of warm wood, as in Berlin’s concert hall, with stone exteriors.
Mr Maron said building on the banks of the Torrens River at Elder Park, inspired by other developments in England and Canada, would enhance the existing art and sport precinct.
He has also suggested a site near Adelaide Zoo, at Lot Fourteen adjacent the Botanic Gardens.
“(But) my preference is the romantic notion of having it on the Riverbank,” he said.
Mr Maron’s vision comes just a week after the Sunday Mail’s Your Say SA survey showed an overwhelming move for a bold agenda for the state.
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra managing director Vincent Ciccarello said the town hall was acoustically excellent, but lacked top-class backstage and front-of-house facilities.
“The one piece of cultural infrastructure that is missing in Adelaide really is a dedicated concert hall or music space,” he said.
“We enjoy town hall because there is a very fine acoustic, but could only describe the facilities and amenities as belonging to a 19th-century civic building. It was never intended as a concert hall for the state symphony orchestra.”
Complaints include a lack of lifts for people requiring special access, and few toilets. Festival Theatre has better amenities, but acoustics in the building are considered poor.
Mr Ciccarello said the ability to host larger crowds in a musically excellent building would “transform the ASO’s business model”, and enable it to reduce overhead costs.
Currently, it must double up on operational expenses, including venue hire, by running repeat performances of popular events to ensure that customer demand is met.
Mr Ciccarello said the ASO’s board was seeking to progress its own concert hall plan, with significant behind-the-scenes work including with stakeholders and architects.
However, it is unclear what a full business case would cost and there is a lack of money. A Government spokesman said they had given in-principle support to fund a business case for a concert hall.
Why my vision is a sound idea
By Guy Maron, AM
History tells us that the device used in modern times by kings, emperors and world leaders to elevate the spirit of their people is to simply resort to building greatness in the form of significant and pivotal projects – money or no money.
Some may argue that in a true cultural environment it is the opiate of the people, but the system works as it always has for leaders in the past.
South Australians who have ventured beyond our shores as tourists would be well aware of iconic buildings and landmarks that have attracted millions of visitors a year in many countries they have visited.
They may wonder why we are not attempting to do the same back home in Adelaide.
The Sydney Opera House, for instance, set Australia on the world map, attracting millions of tourists to Sydney every year.
And so does the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Pyramid, in Paris; the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty, in New York; and, more recently, The Shard, in London, designed by Sir Richard Rogers, of Paris Pompidou Centre fame, and now hired by the Victorian Government, at 85, to design the entire underground railway system in Melbourne. The Advertiser’s report last month regarding South Australia missing out on $1 billion of economic activity by failing to claim the share of the national tourism pie is very much to the point.
The Tourism Industry Council SA’s modelling suggests the state claimed only $3.50 of every $100 international tourists spent in Australia in 2018-19.
That is so disappointing when you consider that we live in such a beautiful state.
While the State Government means well, South Australians have become case-hardened by report after report of promises of tunnels and submarines which are supposed to alleviate the malaise of the state.
The effort of rehabilitating the heritage buildings on North Tce, at the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site, should be singled out for genuine praise for the Government.
Lot Fourteen is supposed to be the panacea of all things good but so far we have, after two years of talk, seen very little of consequence other than the appointment of a plethora of experts.
The concept of bringing about a National Gallery of Aboriginal Art and Culture, mooted ahead of the 2018 state election, is a particularly worthwhile project and could, if properly handled, rectify some of the downside of seeing to be doing nothing.
We understand that bringing all the stakeholders on side for such a venture is an extremely complex task. And a risky one at that.
Our Government is well on the way to achieving consensus among stakeholders.
All this brings me to muse over the courage and vision of the city fathers and the local government of Bilbao, in Spain, a city once on its knees economically and an industrial backwater in the European political and economic environment.
The decision to embark on an art gallery of world significance by one of the world’s great architects is to be lauded because there was no guarantee that building – such an edifice of world quality – would heal the wounds of a derelict city.
The result of this vision and courage could not have been expected but the truth is that the Guggenheim Gallery did the trick and is attracting millions of tourists to this day.
The gallery is accompanied by artworks outside and bridges over the river by the famous architect Calatrava. What a courageous vision.
It seems that the will is there to make Lot Fourteen sing a great song for SA but it would appear that the notes have not quite been arranged in a way that Bilbao managed.
Let us fervently hope that, somehow, our Government will see the light of day now that it has arranged some of the notes and that soon the music may begin.
After all, Singapore spent $1 billion for a tropical conservatory. The Gardens by the Bay, and managing the queues of millions of tourists at the building, is now a happy problem for the island city-state’s tourism chiefs.
Adelaide can do the same. It will just take courage and vision.