The iconic Melbourne institution is set for a facelift.
Some call it the Eiffel Tower of Melbourne (maybe). The instantly-recognisable venue is home to a ton of performing arts experiences, including music, theatre, dance and much more.
It’s also a staple of the city’s sprawling Arts Precinct, featuring a handful of creative centres along Birrarung from Fed Square to Southbank.
Melbourne Arts Centre Renovations
- The centre will be getting more accessible seating, allowing visitors with mobility issues to sit on all three levels of the State Theatre for the first time
- There will be more space for food and drink trucks outside the venue opening onto the new urban garden
- Backstage, the venue will add a rehearsal and studio space, a function room, broadcast capabilities and a flying system for performers
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The Arts Precinct has been scheduled for renovations for a while now, with construction having started earlier this year. The Victorian government has invested a whopping $1.7 billion into the project, called ‘The Transformation’ with the hopes of bringing the district onto the world stage.
Now, plans have been announced to revitalize the Arts Centre. It’ll be the first since its opening in 1984 that the centre will be getting a significant makeover.
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For guests, the renovations will include more accessible seating, opening all three tiers of audience space to disabled guests for the first time.
There will also be more food and drink trucks outside the venue for pre-show snacks in the project’s impressive urban garden. The large space for greenery, bars and public art will be shared between the precinct buildings.
Inside the Arts Centre, there will be new spaces for practising and organising, as well as broadcast capabilities to stream shows to those who can’t make it, and a high-tech flying system for dramatic aerial performances.
The massive undertaking is set to be finished in 2017.
For more on the Melbourne Arts Centre renovations, head here.
