Shifting Sculptures
Boundary Street, Spring Hill in Brisbane is set to have its first public sculpture since Bertram Mackennal's bronze of Barrister, and former Premier of Queensland Thomas Byrnes, stood at the junction of Wickham and Boundary Streets. Byrnes' imposing statue gazed over Spring Hill (the suburb of his birth) from 1902 until 1924, when he was relocated to Centenary Place.
As part of refurbishments to the forty-year-old Main Roads Building in Boundary Street, Ken Reinhard's eight tonne, seven metre, steel sculpture, 'The Red Cube', formerly located outside the Queensland Art Gallery, will be placed in the forecourt early this year.
Ken Reinhard's The Red Cube
'The Red Cube' was a gift to the Queensland Cultural Centre from Transfield, to commemorate the opening of the Gateway Bridge in 1986. Reinhard, who was not remunerated for his design, made sketches and created a maquette around 14 to 15 inches high, which was then scaled up and fabricated at Transfield's foundry in Richlands.
The award winning artist and academic said the inspiration behind 'The Red Cube's' abstract design comes from "twenty years of previous experience playing with geometric forms and primary colours." A recent 50-year retrospective exhibition at the Robin Gibson Gallery in Sydney, illustrates Reinhard's experimentation with the juxtaposition of colour and dimension which began in the 1970s, and has since become a defining characteristic of his work.
Up until a couple of years ago, 'The Red Cube' was located in the grounds of the Queensland Cultural Centre. A new home was needed when work commenced on extensions to the Queensland Museum. Reinhard said he was approached a year ago about the move and was "delighted" 'The Red Cube' will soon have a new home. Not surprising, given one of his sculptures in Melbourne mysteriously disappeared during a building redevelopment, only to resurface in a vacant lot in Kings Cross!
Mr Greg Penbrink, Manager of Built Environment at Queensland Transport said the cost of 'The Red Cube's' relocation would be around $80,000 to $90,000. The cost of the overall refurbishment of the Main Road's forecourt, including relandscaping, replacement of the Main Road building's canopy, addition of an emergency generator and two disability access ramps would be $350,000.
What's The Big Secret?
Early last year, the Queensland Government announced that $30 million would be spent to transform the historic Lady Bowen building into a shelter for the inner-city's homeless folk, and $8 million would be spent toward the restoration of the Old Queensland Museum.
The Old Queensland Museum
Work is well underway on the refurbishment of these two heritage listed Brisbane landmarks. In October last year, a 'Bunneys Demolitions' sign was visible on the shrouded Wickham Terrace frontage of the Lady Bowen Building, but a spokesperson from 'Bunneys Demolition' was "not allowed" to advise what was being demolished. The AMEB has relocated from the former Lady Bowen Hospital to premises in Ashgrove. The Queensland Youth Orchestra will retain their tenancy at the Old Queensland Museum for the next two years, but beyond that, there is much uncertainty.
The Lady Bowen Building
The following questions, which were put to QBuild and the Minister's office in October last year, remain unanswered:
When is it anticipated the projects will be finished?
Will the heritage garden beds and gardeners' shed be retained as part of the development at the Old Museum Building?
Will the Queensland Youth Orchestra remain as tenants in the Old Museum Building?
Some of the Old Museum windows have been boarded up - are the windows being entirely replaced?
In October a 'Bunneys Demolition' sign appeared on the shrouded scaffolding surrounding the Lady Bowen Building. Are you able to advise what is being demolished?