New WA Theatre Venue Update

Taken directly from the DCA Web Site

Building the venue

Works are underway on Western Australia's new performing arts venue.

Forward Works

Forward works commenced on the site of the New Performing Arts Venue on 13 November 2006 and has been completed.   Broad Construction Services carried out the forward works, which included demolition, excavation and substructure to prepare the site for the main construction.

Main Construction

The tender for the main construction contract was awarded to John Holland Pty Ltd on 5 October 2007 and work started on site at the end of October.   The construction program is scheduled to take 110 weeks.

What's happening on site this month?

On Tuesday, 3 June 2008, the basement floor of the New Performing Arts Venue was poured, following the removal of more than 10,000m³ soil from the site over the past six months. 

The basement floor slab - which is 600mm thick and secured to the ground by 86 tension piles that extend 10 metres into the ground - will become the floor of the studio space and one of the two rehearsal rooms.

About 130 trucks delivered over 1,000m³ of concrete to the site for the continuous pour.

The next stage of construction will be to build an isolated floor to create acoustic separation between the studio and external vibrations.

The viewing platform (see information below) provides an excellent vantage point to observe construction on the site. 

What can I see?

A public viewing platform has been established above the City of Perth Cultural Centre carpark (opposite the Art Gallery of Western Australia’s forecourt).  This space provides a spectacular vantage point for people to watch the development of the new performing arts venue and offers a unique opportunity to observe the workings of a building site in a safe and secure environment.

Around the outside of the construction site, photomedia artist Eva Fernandez has created a visual interpretation of the new performing arts venue.  The images reflect the essence of the development and the physicality of the structure being built, as well as the nature and energy of performing arts.