Case Study: Queensland Performing Arts Centre creates a world-class, intimate theatre experience with Snøhetta

QPAC opens the 1,500-seat Glasshouse Theatre with Snøhetta

The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) sought to expand its capacity and reframe how a major cultural building engages with the city, requiring a new world-class theatre within the heritage-sensitive Queensland Cultural Precinct. Snøhetta, in partnership with Blight Rayner Architecture, won the international design competition to deliver this new venue, the Glasshouse Theatre.

The solution by Snøhetta and its collaborators is a 1,500-seat theatre defined by its rippling, highly engineered glass façade, which minimizes visual impact and creates transparent public foyers. The design incorporates First Nations narratives, maximizes intimacy with wrap-around balconies and continental seating, and features a fully automated fly system and adaptable orchestra pit. This landmark project makes QPAC the largest performing arts centre under one roof in Australia and is expected to attract an additional 300,000 visitors annually, increasing total visitation to 1.6 million per year and fortifying Queensland's reputation as a cultural destination ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

Queensland Performing Arts Centre (qpac)