Cairns Cultural Precinct-A3 Report (100129) · Design Report This Report includes; 1. The Concept Master Plan prepared by Architectus in association with Total Project Group and Arup

Prepared for Project Services & Cairns Regional Council Trinity Inlet, Cairns

Cairns Cultural Precinct Concept Planning Report

Prepared for Project Services & Cairns Regional Council Trinity Inlet, Cairns

Cairns Cultural Precinct Concept Planning Report

Executive Summary

Design ReportThis Report includes;

The Concept Master Plan prepared by Architectus in association with Total Project 1. Group and Arup Acoustic and Theatre Design.

The Cost Report prepared by Rider Levett Bucknall.2.

The Preliminary Business Plans for the Regional Performing Arts Centre and the 3. Museum prepared by Positive Solutions.

These reports have been prepared for Cairns Regional Council with assistance from Council Officers, Far North Queensland Ports Corporation Limited (FNQPC) and Project Services.

The Conceptual Design describes a new Cultural Precinct located on Wharf Street, between the Cairns Wharf and the Convention Centre. It comprises a new Regional Performing Arts Centre, a major new Public Plaza, a new Museum and basement car parking for 300 vehicles.

The Regional Performing Arts Centre presents a unique design concept which will accommodate a main auditorium of 1000 tiered seats, a flat floor flexible space with 450 retractable seats and a rehearsal facility that can accommodate up to 100 seats. The main auditorium is configured with an upper tier of 250 seats which enables the lower stalls to comfortably accommodate smaller performances of between 500 to 750 seats. The Performing Arts Centre has been designed as a highly flexible performing arts facility of international standard, that can stage a broad diversity of cultural events, including festival mode for up to 2000 patrons.

The proposed Museum will occupy a strategic location in relation to its prominence within the South Pacific Rim and as the northern gateway to Queensland and Australia. It is proposed as a world class facility dedicated to the presentation and exploration of the vibrant and diverse culture and history of Far North Queensland. Its exhibition spaces must integrate with the heritage listed Whites Shed and maximize its exposure to the adjacent cruise ship terminal, the new Public Plaza and Wharf Street. The exhibition spaces should be highly flexible to accommodate 5 year permanent displays as well as temporary and touring exhibitions.

The new Public Plaza offers the opportunity to integrate the new facilities with the existing Convention Centre and Cruise Ship Terminal as well as providing a venue for open air performances and exhibitions. It will support educational and community programs and provide opportunities for retail and hospitality venues. Combined with the accessible stage areas of the Performing Arts Centre the Plaza can be transformed into a major festival venue able to cater for large audience participation.

The proposed Plaza will act as the main gathering space for all the venues and must possess the appropriate amenity to attract visitors in its own right. The diversity and vibrancy of uses for the plaza will support the viability of the commercial outlets. It will need to provide commercial opportunities for retail and hospitality such as restaurants, coffee shops gift shops and carparking to serve the new facilities. This diversity of function, its complimentary uses and its flexibility to change and adapt are the corner stones for cultural, social and financial sustainability.

It will become a destination in its own right for dining, shopping, recreation, education and entertainment.

The Vision for the project is to create a magnetic and memorable form and a place of National, State and Regional significance for Cairns and Far North Queensland.

The elements of this vision are :

- World Class Performance Spaces (PAC)

- A Vibrant Gathering Space (Plaza)

- Iconic Form (PAC)

- Extensive Exhibition Space (Museum)

- Unique Context (Museum)

The World Class Performance Space has been designed as a fusion of the origins of western and indigenous performance space - the Greek amphitheatre and the Bora Ring. Performance can be either open air or fully enclosed. The design offers exciting opportunities using retractable walls to connect each or all of the performance spaces and with the outside Plaza to create unconventional indoor outdoor performance spaces.

This design feature allows

connection between the main and secondary auditoria and the surrounding rehearsal -and side stage areas to create a "festival format" venue of approximately 2000 seats.

creation of sight lines through the auditorium across Trinity Inlet to the wetlands and -nearby mountains enabling the theatre to be transformed from a traditional light sealed venue to a performance and cultural arena which connects directly to the surrounding environment. - use of generous foyer areas for retail markets connected to the creative industries and for informal performance and functions.

direct connection to the Public Plaza for outdoor performances serviced from the main -building.

direct connection to the Convention Centre. -

The Vibrant Gathering Space that will become a locus of cultural and community facilities, a civic meeting place. It will be a site activated by not only the Performing Arts Centre and Museum but also the existing Convention Centre and Cruise Ship Terminal new restaurants, cafes and retail outlets. The Public Plaza will also be used for performance and exhibition.

The Iconic Form is emotive of the surrounding peaks Mt. Bartle Frere, Mt. Bellenden Ker and Walsh's Pyramid and across Trinity inlet to the Yarrabah Ranges.

It is an exciting form that differentiates itself from the rectilinear cityscape. -

A lightweight tropical form. -

A translucent shell that can glow at night. -

Incorporates principles of sustainability development -

The Extensive Exhibition Space designed as a highly transparent space that will allow views of exhibits from the outside while mediating the strict constraints of the ingress of natural light. It also allows visual connection to the Plaza and surrounding environs.

The envelope is designed as double layered skins of glass 1m apart with full integrated -automatic louvre and blind systems.

The exhibition space is highly flexible in terms of spacial grids, floor loadings, suspension -points and services.

It will integrate the heritage listed Whites Shed structure and machinery which will -accommodate educational, hospitality/retail and inteperative facilities.

The Unique Context for these facilities is its unique location directly adjacent to the operational wharf, cruise terminal, public plaza and performing arts centre. It will also be iconic in the context of its historical setting with Whites Shed, the heritage listed wharf and its associated buildings.

Theatre planning has been analysed by Arup Theatre and Acoustic Design group to test the feasibility of the design concept and to ensure all cost provisions have been incorporated into the cost plan. Numerous configurations have been reviewed and spacial

dimensions confirmed. The feasibility of the retractable walls has also been confirmed. Their report clearly demonstrates the flexibility inherent in the design.

The Site of the new Cultural Precinct is strategically located on the water front within the Cairns CBD. It is within easy walking distance of the commercial and retail heart, the entertainment and hotel precinct . It is adjacent to the cruise ship terminal and operational Port of Cairns, The site has excellent access via road and public transport and is with in easy walking distance of the rail station which will assume greater importance as the city develops . The site is well connected via the established inner city pedestrian network and its proposed expansion.

The proposed co-existence of the Cultural Precinct with an adjacent working port area presents unique opportunities for both Cairns Regional Council and the FNQPC.

In order to progress the development of this Cultural Precinct proposal, Cairns Regional Council and the FNQPC have entered into a Heads of Agreement that identifies the commercial and operational needs of the Ports Corporation while giving the Council license to pursue the opportunities presented. The design team has consulted with FNQPC representatives to ensure that their requirements will not significantly impact on the feasibility of the development and that any potential disruption to working operations of the port can be accommodated within the design and subsequent management arrangements.

The concept presented with this report demonstrates general compliance with the FNQPC requirements and identifies areas for further consideration as the development progresses, including:

Environmental separation between port and precinct activities -

Separate development of a commercial tower within the precinct -

Adjustment of the precinct area to include the plaza area. -

Detailed integration of the precinct development into the Ports Corporation's overall City -Port Master Plan.

Preliminary analysis indicates that these requirements can be satisfied subject to a full study of all the requirements during the sketch design stage.

The scheme makes provision for a single level carpark slightly below the natural grade for approximately 300 vehicles. The car park will also provide basement access to the Performing Arts Centre and the Museum. A comprehensive traffic study will need to be carried out to assess the surrounding street capacity and balance the requirements for the new precinct and provisions contained in the Port Master Plan.

The Department of Environment and Resource Management (formerly EPA) has been consulted and have verbally endorsed the adaptive reuse of Whites Shed and the need for its reconstruction and lifting above flood level. A conservation plan will be required as part of the formal approval process in the next stage of the project.

The vision expressed by council for an integrated and vibrant cultural precinct will be diminished by a staged approach. As presented previously, cultural, social and financial sustainability is best secured with the diverse range of functions and uses highlighted in this design that compliment and support each other.

The Gross Floor Areas as measured from the attached drawings totals approximately 30,250m2 comprising basement-8500m2, Whites Shed and the Museum-5500m2, Plaza- 5000m2, Performing Arts Centre - 11,250m2 plus associated roadworks and pedestrian linkages. -

Executive Summary

Prepared for Project Services & Cairns Regional Council Trinity Inlet, Cairns

Cairns Cultural Precinct Concept Planning Report

Construction Costs as at September 09 total $124.16m plus margins and adjustments including fitout escalation to September 2010 of $111.0m. TOTAL = $ 241.40m.

Individual construction costs are:

Whites Shed - $6.12m, -

Museum (incl carparking, basement) - $20.87m, -

Plaza- $4.04m, -

Performing Arts Centre (incl. carparking, basement) - $79.48m, -

Roadworks and Pedestrian linkages - $2.54m, -

External Services - $1.44, -

Landscaping - $1.0m, -

Five Star ABGR and Green star - $8.66m. -

This concept master plan for a new Cultural Precinct overlooking Trinity Inlet at Cairns is truly imaginative and iconic in its aspirations. It is a project of National, State and Regional importance which warrants due consideration to deliver those aspirations. It has been prepared by professionals experienced in high profile community infrastructure especially the performing arts and museums. The designs have been carefully researched, assessed, measured and cost estimated within the conceptual framework. Underlying issues have been teased out and tested against the design to ensure fitness for purpose within the context of the Port operations.

Executive Summary